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Duffy goes for Royals in Colorado

Jul 1, 2011 - 2:58 PM (Sports Network) - Rookie left-hander Danny Duffy can help the Kansas City Royals emerge from a prolonged slump tonight when they open a three-game interleague series on the road against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

The Royals dropped their 11th game in their last 14 on Wednesday in San Diego, when Anthony Rizzo had a two-run single and Tim Stauffer tossed seven innings of one-run ball to lift the Padres to a 4-1 win that completed a three-game sweep.

Bruce Chen (4-2) took the loss, allowing four unearned runs on eight hits and a walk through six innings. He also fanned six.

The skid has dropped the Royals to last in the American League Central, where they trail front-running Detroit by 10 1/2 games.

Duffy, who wasn't born when Kansas City won its last World Series in 1985, makes the ninth start of a big-league career that began when he went four innings in the team's 5-4 loss to Texas on May 18.

He earned win No. 1 three starts ago at Oakland, scattering four hits and allowing two runs in six innings of 7-4 triumph.

Two no-decisions have come in two subsequent outings, in which he's allowed four runs in 15 hits in 10 2/3 innings.

The Royals are 2-6 in the eight games he's pitched.

For Colorado, fellow first-year righty Juan Nicasio makes his seventh career start.

Now 24 years old, Nicasio earned his second win in six starts on June 14 against San Diego, when he allowed two runs on six hits in six innings of a 6-3 victory.

He debuted with a 15-4 win over St. Louis on May 28.

In his last two starts, the Dominican has recorded no-decisions while allowing 11 hits and 10 runs in 9 2/3 innings.

On Thursday in Denver, Juan Pierre tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the eighth and put Chicago ahead in the 10th with a two-run single to give the White Sox a 6-4 win over the Rockies in the finale of a three-game set.

Troy Tulowitzki hit a three-run home run and Matt Pagnozzi drove in the other run for the Rockies, who have dropped five of six. Aaron Cook was charged with just one run on five hits over six innings.

Colorado took two of three from the Royals last season, but Kansas City won the series in its last trip to Coors.