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Royals-Tigers Preview

Aug 24, 2010 - 4:52 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Kansas City (53-71) at Detroit (61-63), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Johnny Damon is on the verge of what could be his final game with the Detroit Tigers.

In possibly his last appearance in his current uniform, the veteran looks to help his club to a fifth consecutive victory Tuesday night against the visiting Kansas City Royals.

Damon was claimed on waivers by Boston prior to Detroit's 12-3 win over Kansas City on Monday. He has until Wednesday to decide if he wants to accept a return to the Red Sox, whom he helped lead to a World Series title in 2004.

Damon would have to waive his no-trade clause for Boston to acquire him.

"My teammates are making this decision easier by saying they want me to stay," Damon said. "My gut and everything else tells me that Detroit's the place for me.

"I understand if it could help the Tigers in the future, I have to look at it that way."

Damon, 2 for 4 with an RBI on Monday, is hitting .272 with seven home runs and 41 RBIs in his first season with Detroit (62-63).

The Tigers recorded 17 hits and their second-highest run total of the season in their fifth straight home victory. Ryan Raburn, Jhonny Peralta and Brandon Inge each had three RBIs for Detroit, which has scored 31 runs while going 4-0 on a six-game homestand.

Raburn has batted .352 with 11 RBIs in his last 14 games to raise his average from .210 to .243. He is 5 for 10 against the Royals (53-71) at home this season.

The Tigers' Rick Porcello (5-11, 5.76 ERA) looks to avoid losing his second straight start. After going 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in his previous two starts, the right-hander gave up six in five innings of an 11-5 road loss to New York on Thursday.

"It's definitely frustrating," Porcello told the Tigers' official website. "Gotta be a little bit better next time."

Porcello, 1-1 with a 4.88 ERA in four starts versus Kansas City, allowed three runs and 10 hits in six innings of a 7-3 home loss to the Royals on April 14. He did not get a decision.

Kyle Davies (6-7, 5.14) earned the victory in that contest after giving up three runs in 6 2-3 innings.

Though the right-hander is 2-6 with a 5.40 ERA in nine career starts against Detroit, he has gone 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA in his last two versus the Tigers - both at Comerica Park.

Davies allowed three runs and seven hits in each of his last two starts, going 1-0. He struck out five over 7 1-3 innings of a 7-3 loss to Cleveland on Thursday.

Billy Butler had two hits with an RBI on Monday for Kansas City, which has totaled 11 runs during a five-game road losing streak.

Butler has batted .343 in his last 10 games. He is hitting .368 with eight RBIs versus Detroit in 2010.