Royals-Indians Preview - MLB

Kansas City (45-61) at Cleveland (52-51)
The Cleveland Indians have introduced a new batter into the lineup, but their offense continues to struggle. That’s nothing new to Justin Masterson(notes).

The right-hander will try to prevent the Indians from losing their fourth straight and falling back to .500 for the first time since the opening week of the season Saturday night when they host the Kansas City Royals.
Hoping for a spark from right fielder Kosuke Fukudome(notes), who was making his Indians debut after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, Cleveland (52-51) was held to five hits in Friday’s 12-0 series-opening loss. Fukudome finished 0 for 4, grounding out to end the game as Cleveland’s streak of consecutive scoreless innings reached 17.
“We continue to struggle offensively, and our guys in our clubhouse are going to have to be the guys to snap out of it,” said manager Manny Acta, whose team is batting .169 and averaging 1.6 runs while losing seven of eight. “We can’t be expecting somebody to come in from the outside and do it.”
Cleveland has scored two runs or fewer in 10 of Masterson’s 21 starts following Sunday’s 4-2 home loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Masterson (8-7, 2.57 ERA), who yielded four runs - one earned - in seven innings, has a 1.72 ERA in his last nine starts, but is just 3-3 during that stretch.
“I can’t even remember anymore when he had a rough outing,” Acta told the Indians’ official website. “He’s been so good the whole season.”
Masterson is 2-0 with a 3.55 ERA in two starts against Kansas City (45-61) in 2011. He’ll try to deliver another strong performance and prevent the Indians from hitting the break-even point for the first time since they were 2-2 on April 5.
Billy Butler(notes) has just four hits in 20 at-bats against Masterson, but the Royals designated hitter has homered five times - twice on Friday - while going deep in a career-best four consecutive games.
Butler was nearly beaned in the head in the fourth inning by Indians starter Carlos Carrasco(notes), who had just served up a grand slam to Melky Cabrera(notes).
“That’s not professional,” Butler said after Kansas City snapped a five-game skid in this AL Central matchup and a six-game losing streak in Cleveland. “I understand the game. You don’t go above the shoulders. I knew there was the possibility that I would get hit, but that’s too high. You’re never supposed to throw at somebody’s head.”
Eric Hosmer(notes) could be another tough out. The rookie first baseman is batting .442 (19 for 43) during a team-best 10-game hitting streak.
Kansas City, which has won seven of 10 overall, will look to post its first three-game road winning streak since July 5-7, 2010.
The Royals, 17-32 on the road, may have trouble matching that run with right-hander Felipe Paulino(notes) (1-4, 3.86) to the mound.
Paulino is 1-4 with a 5.22 ERA in his last six starts after lasting 5 2-3 innings in Sunday’s 5-0 loss to Tampa Bay, yielding four runs and seven hits.
“He just struggled with his command, especially in the first, second and third innings,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He settled down in the fourth, but he lost it again in the sixth.”
This will be the first time Paulino faces the Indians.