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Tigers-Royals Preview

Sep 5, 2010 - 4:54 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Detroit (67-68) at Kansas City (56-78), 2:10 p.m. EDT

Detroit star Miguel Cabrera added to his major league-leading RBI total in his return from injury. Fortunately for the Tigers, Armando Galarraga hasn't needed much help lately from Cabrera or any of his other teammates.

The right-hander will try to continue that recent success by leading his team to its first road sweep of the Kansas City Royals in two years Sunday.

Cabrera, one of the top candidates for AL MVP, sat out Friday's series opener with left biceps tendinitis but hit a two-run double in his first at-bat the next evening.

The Tigers, though, needed to score two runs in the eighth inning for a 6-4 victory. Austin Jackson provided the tiebreaking single and had a solo homer among his three hits.

"That's a reason why I've had success this year, being able to hit the ball the other way," said Jackson, who leads all AL rookies with a .309 average. "I'm just trying to stay with that approach and stay consistent with that and it's worked well for me."

By going 2 for 4, Cabrera raised his average to .338, second best in the AL. The first baseman is also second with 33 homers and has driven in 110 runs. He has 17 RBIs in the past 21 games.

Cabrera has batted .354 with 14 homers and 45 RBIs in 51 games against the Royals (56-79).

Galarraga (4-5, 3.98 ERA) has also been successful in his six career starts versus Kansas City, going 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA.

The right-hander is 1-0 with a 1.40 ERA in his last three starts and allowed two runs over six innings during a 4-3 loss at Minnesota on Tuesday. He came into that start after giving up one run and five hits over 6 1-3 innings to Kansas City during a 4-3, 12-inning loss Aug. 25.

A day earlier, Kyle Davies (6-9, 5.23) was pounded by the Tigers for seven runs and 12 hits over 4 2-3 innings of a 9-1 defeat.

"I threw some pitches in off the plate that I think may have hit them if they didn't swing," Davies told the team's website. "But they were able to get the bat head to them and beat me in my own game."

Davies has posted a 6.23 ERA in consecutive defeats and was on the wrong end of a 3-0 loss to Texas on Monday.

The right-hander is 2-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 10 career starts against Detroit (68-68) and 1-1 with a 7.94 ERA in his two meetings this season. He gave up three runs over 6 2-3 innings in a 7-3 victory April 14

This time, he'll try to help prevent the Tigers' first sweep over Kansas City since July 21-23, 2008. Detroit has won 14 of 23 meetings at Kauffman Stadium dating back to the beginning of that series and holds a 5-3 edge this season.

Rookie second baseman Will Rhymes has batted .370 during a 12-game hitting streak and is 8 for 23 in five games against the Royals. He had two hits and two RBIs in the win over Davies on Aug. 24.