|
|
The Kansas City
Royals have played poorly on the road, while the Toronto Blue Jays have played
poorly at home.
Both teams will try to turn their fortunes around as they open a three-game
series at SkyDome.
Kansas City has just one win in 11 road games this season. The Royals have dropped four in a row on the road and four straight overall.
They were shut down by New York's Mike Mussina in a 4-2 loss to the Yankees on Sunday. Kansas City scored only two runs on nine hits and left 13 men on base.
``With a pitcher like Mussina, if you've got him set up for the knockout punch, you'd better deliver it,'' said first baseman Mike Sweeney, who drove in both runs for the Royals.
The Yankees completed a three-game sweep of Kansas City, which has dropped 14
of 17.
With six games remaining on a nine-game trip, the Royals will try to show some improvement when they face Toronto's Justin Miller in the opener.
Miller, 26, will be making his second start of the season after failing to earn a decision in his first start. The right-hander went five innings, allowing three runs and eight hits while striking out three in Toronto's 9-5 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday.
The Blue Jays have just one win in nine home games this season. They have lost five of their last six games, all on the road.
Toronto lost three of four to the Chicago White Sox during the weekend, including a 4-2 loss on Sunday.
Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca criticized plate umpire Tim Reynolds' game-calling after the finale.
``The pitches in
the ninth, from my perspective, were sub-major league standard,'' Tosca said.
``We've got to be better than that.''
Back To Index Page