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Britton, O's play first of three vs. KC

May 24, 2011 - 2:51 PM (Sports Network) - Zach Britton goes after win No. six this evening when the Baltimore Orioles open a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals at Camden Yards.

Britton has allowed one earned run or less in six of his nine starts and is 5-2 on the year with a 2.14 earned run average. The young left-hander, though, could use some run support, as he has failed to allow an earned run in either of his last two starts, but has walked away with a no-decision in each outing.

He was again brilliant on Wednesday against the New York Yankees, holding them to just an unearned run and six hits in seven innings. Britton has allowed just three runners to reach second base in his last two starts -- spanning 16 innings.

Britton hasn't surrendered an earned run in 19 1/3 frames either, a streak that could continue this evening, as he has pitched to a 1.54 ERA in his six home starts this season.

Kansas City will counter with a young left-hander of its own this evening in Danny Duffy, who did not get a decision in his big league debut on Wednesday. Duffy allowed the Texas Rangers two runs and four hits in four innings and walked six in the 5-4 loss.

"I thought he threw the ball great," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "His pitch count got way up, but stuff-wise, he was very impressive and very encouraging."

The Royals enter this series after dropping two of three from the St. Louis Cardinals in an interleague set over the weekend. Kansas City overcame a six- run deficit on Sunday, but eventually fell, 9-8, in 10 innings.

"We showed a lot of heart battling back and we came close to pulling it out," Yost said. "We just couldn't get over the hump."

Wilson Betemit hit a two-run homer and drove in three, while Alex Gordon and Jeff Francoeur added home runs in the loss for the Royals, who lost for the seventh time in nine games.

To make matters worse for the Royals, they had their team-record of 106 consecutive innings without an error stopped with prospect Eric Hosmer's fourth inning miscue.

The Orioles, meanwhile, won their interleague series over the weekend, taking two of three from the Washington Nationals. On Sunday, Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run home run that was the deciding factor in Baltimore's 2-1 victory.

Starter Chris Tillman went five innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks while fanning four, but Jim Johnson (3-1) earned the win when he pitched a scoreless seventh for the Orioles' second straight win after a four-game losing streak.

Kansas City took two of three from the O's earlier in the season and has won six of the last nine in the series.