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Royals seek another victory over Brewers

Jun 17, 2015 - 2:22 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Kansas City Royals are making headlines both on and off the diamond and look to stay focused Wednesday, when they resume a four- game series with the Milwaukee Brewers on their home turf.

The AL Central-leading Royals took the first two meetings at Miller Park and are back in the friendly confines of Kauffman Stadium for the next five games. They will also play the Boston Red Sox three times in K.C.

Kansas City has raised eyebrows with eight players leading their respective positions on the American League All-Star ballot. Fans have been voting at a tremendous rate and L.A. Angels star outfielder Mike Trout is the only non- Royal in line to start for the AL in the All-Star Game.

Lorenzo Cain is slated to start for the Junior Circuit and homered for the second straight game in Tuesday's 7-2 win. Cain belted a two-run homer in the first inning and starting pitcher Chris Young added a two-run single in the fourth to stake K.C. to a 4-0 lead. Jarrod Dyson's RBI triple in the eighth made it 7-0 for the Royals, winners in six of eight games.

The Royals are 3 1/2 games ahead of Minnesota for the AL Central lead.

Mike Moustakas went 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored, Omar Infante recorded three hits and scored three times, and Young ended 2-for-3 at the plate with RBI to help his own cause. Young, though, was even better on the mound with seven shutout innings.

"No one can hit him," Royals manager Ned Yost said of Young. "He's just unbelievable."

Young is the sixth pitcher in Royals history to record three RBI in a game and first since Steve Busby accomplished the feat versus the Angels on Sept. 20, 1972.

Yost is one win shy of matching the franchise record of 410 managerial wins set by Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog from 1975-79.

Joe Blanton will make his first start since 2013 for the Royals and has appeared in seven relief chances, the last coming in Friday's 4-0 loss at St. Louis. He hurled 2 2/3 scoreless innings in that one and has allowed three earned runs this season.

The veteran right-hander, who is taking the place of injured starter Jason Vargas, has faced Milwaukee five times (all starts) in his career, going 2-1 with a 4.96 ERA. Blanton has allowed 18 runs in 32 2/3 innings.

Milwaukee went 2-4 on its recent homestand with four straight losses and will visit Colorado for three games on this jaunt.

Scooter Gennett homered and Jonathan Lucroy drove in a run on Tuesday.

Brewers starting pitcher Matt Garza struggled through 6 2/3 innings of work and was touched for six runs and a career-high 13 hits.

"I hurt myself," Garza said. "I sucked tonight and have to get ready for the next one."

The Brewers turn to Mike Fiers on Wednesday and he prevailed his last time out in an 8-4 win versus Washington on Friday, as he yielded three runs in seven innings with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Fiers improved to 3-6 in 13 starts with a 4.04 ERA and has won two of his last three trips to the mound. Fiers will face the Royals for the first time and has a 2-2 mark with a 2.48 ERA in six starts as the visitor.

The Brewers and Royals are meeting for the first time since Kansas City swept a three-game series in 2012. The Royals have won six in a row against the Brewers.