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Royals' Guthrie again squares off against former team

May 16, 2014 - 2:55 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie gets his fourth career start against a former team on Friday night, when the Kansas City Royals host the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of a four-game series at Kauffman Stadium.

Guthrie played with the Orioles for five seasons before being sent to Colorado in 2012 and is 2-0 in the previous meetings while maintaining a stingy 1.89 earned run average,

He last faced them on April 26 at Camden Yards and didn't factor into the decision in a game the Royals lost, 3-2.

He was knocked around for seven runs in 4 2/3 innings in his last start -- a game Kansas City ultimately won, 9-7, at Seattle -- and he's 0-2 with a 5.21 ERA in his last six outings.

Guthrie is opposed by righty Chris Tillman, who seeks his first May win.

Tillman has had his outings cut short in three previous starts this month, going past the fifth inning just once while allowing at least three runs each time and compiling an 0-1 record with a 5.17 ERA.

In his most recent start, he was nicked for four hits in five innings of a 5-2 loss to Houston.

In one start against Kansas City in 2013, Tillman earned a 5-3 win after allowing five hits in six innings. In two previous meetings, he was 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA.

On Thursday, Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning to lift the Orioles over the Royals, 2-1.

Wei-Yin Chen (5-2) gave up one run on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings to pick up the win for the Orioles, who snapped a four-game skid.

Danny Valencia knocked in the lone run for the Royals, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Yordano Ventura (2-3) allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out nine over 6 1/3 innings.

The Royals have won five of their last seven versus the Orioles, winning two of three in Baltimore in late April.