• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Indians-Royals Preview

May 21, 2009 - 5:39 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Writer

Cleveland (14-26) at Kansas City (21-18), 2:10 p.m. EDT

Because starting pitchers don't play every game, it is sometimes argued they have less value than excellent position players.

The way Zack Greinke's masterful start to 2009 has affected the entire Kansas City Royals organization, it's safe to say the team disagrees with that theory.

Greinke looks to match the major league lead with his eighth win as the Royals try for their third in four games Thursday when they close a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians at Kauffman Stadium.

Kansas City (21-19) is over .500 through 40 games for the first time since 2003 thanks in large part to the success of Greinke (7-1, 0.60 ERA). The right-hander's ERA is less than half the next-best mark in baseball, and Greinke also ranks near the top of the majors in strikeouts (65) and opponents' batting average (.189).

Though he's only appeared in eight games, the 25-year-old Greinke is getting a lot of the credit for the team's overall success so far.

"It creates such a positive environment, and everybody thrives," general manager Dayton Moore told the team's official Web site. "There's no doubt it permeates throughout the organization."

Greinke's dominance continued Friday, when he sat through a 2 1/2-hour rain delay before holding Baltimore to one run and six hits while striking out six in seven innings of an 8-1 victory. He improved to 5-0 with a 0.73 ERA in five home starts and extended his streak without giving up a home run to 88 innings, including 60 this season. No other pitcher has thrown more than 28 innings in 2009 without giving up a homer.

"When he goes out there and gives 100 percent, it gives the team extra energy to win games, score some runs for him and play better," said Miguel Olivo, who has caught all of Greinke's games. "He brings a lot of energy and a lot of attitude for the pitchers and the whole team."

Greinke is 2-3 with a 2.37 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 30 1-3 innings spanning his last six starts against the Indians (15-26). He beat them on April 13 when he struck out nine in five scoreless innings of a 4-2 win.

While Cleveland has gotten off to a disappointing start, it was able to stop a four-game losing streak with a 6-5 win over Kansas City on Wednesday night. Mark DeRosa had three hits and drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth as the Indians overcame an early 3-0 deficit, bouncing back from a late collapse that cost them a win in the series opener Tuesday.

"After such an emotional loss last night, to be able to come back and fight back from behind, it says a lot about our guys," manager Eric Wedge said. "They keep getting up off the mat."

The Indians will try to build on that win with Carl Pavano (3-4, 6.33) on the mound. The right-hander had a three-start winning streak snapped Saturday, giving up three runs in five innings of a 4-2 loss at Tampa Bay.

Pavano is 0-2 with an 8.25 ERA in three games - two starts - against the Royals, including a 9-3 road defeat April 14 in which he allowed four runs in six innings.