KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Edinson Volquez had his share of problems last season against the Detroit Tigers, who have added another hitter who troubles him.
Justin Upton has the highest average among Tigers with at least 10 at-bats versus Volquez, who will start Thursday night as the Kansas City Royals seek to capture a three-game home series.
Volquez (2-0, 2.04 ERA) went 0-2 with a 6.55 ERA in four 2015 outings against Detroit, which batted .313 off of him. Miguel Cabrera was 4 for 7 against him in those games, Anthony Gose was 5 for 11 with a homer and Ian Kinsler 4 for 11.
The Tigers (8-5) signed Upton in the offseason to a six-year deal, and he’s 8 for 17 against the right-hander. Upton has had issues in his first season in the AL, leading the league with 24 strikeouts while batting .241. He has struck out in every game, with nine in his last four.
Kansas City (9-5) has won all three starts by Volquez, who allowed two runs in six innings in Friday’s 4-2 victory at Oakland.
The Royals have enjoyed a strong series from Salvador Perez, who is 5 for 7 with two homers and six RBIs. Perez will be bidding to go deep in three straight games for the first time.
The catcher is 5 for 15 in his career off Detroit starter Mike Pelfrey (0-2, 2.79), who has yet to receive a single run of support in losing his first two starts. Pelfrey gave up one run with a career high-tying six walks over six innings in Friday’s 1-0 defeat at Houston.
“He had trouble throwing strikes,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “He walked six guys, but somehow with the sinker, he was getting ground balls, getting double plays, getting out of jams.”
The right-hander went 1-0 with a 2.20 ERA last year in three starts against the Royals with Minnesota, which won all of them – all at Kansas City. He limited Perez to one hit in seven at-bats last season, with Kendrys Morales faring the same.
Pelfrey had more trouble with Lorenzo Cain, who was 4 for 7, and Alcides Escobar, who went 4 for 9. Second baseman Omar Infante is a .415 hitter off Pelfrey in 41 at-bats.
Kansas City took Tuesday’s series opener 8-6 before Detroit responded the next night with a 3-2 win, holding on after closer Francisco Rodriguez surrendered back-to-back homers to Alex Gordon and Perez in the ninth inning.
Rodriguez notched his 390th save, matching Dennis Eckersley for sixth on baseball’s career list.
“It was his to save or lose,” Ausmus said.
Kinsler is batting .361 during an eight-game hitting streak, going 4 for 9 in this series. Jarrod Saltalamacchia saw his streak of homering in three straight games end Wednesday, although he’s 7 for 15 with six RBIs in the last four.
Cabrera has been limited to a single and a double in 10 at-bats in this series. The slugger, who has homered once this season, came into Wednesday with a flyball percentage of 20.6 after being in the 30s in each of his previous eight seasons with the Tigers.
The Royals’ Eric Hosmer is batting .333 over a 10-game hit streak.