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Orioles-Royals Preview

Jul 31, 2010 - 5:32 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Baltimore (32-70) at Kansas City (42-60), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The follow-up to Zack Greinke's AL Cy Young Award-winning season of a year ago has been rather disappointing.

Greinke looks to bounce back from one of his worst starts this season while trying to help the Kansas City Royals to a second straight victory over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.

After allowing two runs over eight innings in a victory over Toronto on July 21, Greinke (6-10, 4.01 ERA) was tagged for eight runs in four innings of a 19-1 loss to Minnesota on Monday.

"You shouldn't have a game like this ever," said Greinke, who has been bothered by a sore shoulder. "It was just that bad."

It was the second time this season Greinke allowed eight runs in a game. He never gave up more than seven while going 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA in 2009.

The right-hander, who had won four of five starts prior to his last outing, looks to bounce back against the Orioles (32-71). Greinke is 1-2 with a 5.67 ERA in six starts against the Orioles, but 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last three. He allowed two runs and struck out six in seven innings of a 4-3, 10-inning loss at Baltimore on May 18.

Alex Gordon's three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning helped Kansas City (43-60) snap a five-game skid and even the four-game set with a 7-5 win Friday.

"We needed a win in a bad way," said Royals manager Ned Yost, whose team was outscored 54-18 during the five-game losing streak. "We've been struggling to score some runs and our pitching's been struggling to keep us in games."

Kansas City has not won consecutive games since winning three in a row July 5-7.

Wilson Betemit is 12 for 33 with five RBIs in his last nine games after going 3 for 4 and driving in two runs Friday for the Royals, who have won four times in 18 games. Betemit is 4 for 7 with three RBIs in the series.

He has never faced Baltimore's Brad Bergesen (3-9, 6.95), who takes the ball trying for his first victory since beating Seattle on May 12. The right-hander dropped to 0-7 with a 7.85 ERA in 10 starts after giving up eight runs and 10 hits in five innings of a 9-5 loss at Toronto on Monday.

"There's not really a whole lot to say," he said.

Bergesen is 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA against the Royals. He allowed four runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-3 loss to Kansas City on May 17.

Ty Wigginton had three hits with two RBIs on Friday for Baltimore, which has lost 12 of 15. The Orioles have allowed five runs or more in seven straight and 12 of their last 13 games.

"We've got to win the games we're supposed to win," said Juan Samuel, who is managing his final series with the Orioles before Buck Showalter takes over Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels.

Wigginton is 4 for 8 with four RBIs in the series, but 2 for 11 against Greinke.