The Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals have little room for error considering they both reside on the outside of a wild-card berth in the American League.
Especially as they’re about to begin a key four-game series at Kansas City on Monday night.
The Royals are four games behind the Yankees for the AL’s final wild-card spot, while the Rangers reside 5 1/2 games in back of New York.
Kansas City recorded a 6-2 victory at home on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox. The Royals have won 13 of their last 18 games at Kauffman Stadium.
Jonathan India hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to help Kansas City win on Sunday.
“All we can do is keep fighting,” he told FanDuel Sports Network. “That’s all we’re trying to do out here, and collect wins.”
Texas, meanwhile, had lost 12 of 18 games before snapping a four-game skid with a 10-4 victory at Toronto on Sunday.
“Every game is the most important game of the season,” star Marcus Semien told the Rangers Sports Network. “That’s the way we have to look at it.
“Kansas City is a team that is playing good baseball. … We need to go out and do what we did (Sunday). Put up a lot of runs and have fun while we’re doing it.”
Texas was outscored 16-5 during a three-game home series sweep by Kansas City in June. However, the Rangers should feel confident with Jack Leiter (7-6, 3.94 ERA) slated to start the series opener.
The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in his last five starts, even though he has failed to make it into the sixth inning in his last three — all Texas losses. Leiter allowed a solo homer, three other hits and two walks over five innings in a 3-2 defeat to Arizona on Tuesday.
The long ball did in Leiter in his lone career start against the Royals on June 17. Of the six runs in 5 2/3 innings he yielded during a 6-1 loss, four came on three home runs. Salvador Perez hit a pair of homers, and Bobby Witt Jr. went deep once.
“When you see the slug against (Leiter), it’s against mistakes,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said.
Witt, Perez and Maikel Garcia went a combined 7-for-9 with six RBIs vs. Leiter in that contest. Witt is batting .382 in the last nine home games.
Scheduled Monday starter Michael Wacha (7-9, 3.35 ERA) will to continue his stellar run for the Royals, who have won his last four starts. The veteran right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in his last six outings.
On Tuesday against Washington, Wacha allowed two runs on five hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings in Kansas City’s 8-5 victory.
Wacha has given up a run in each of his last two starts against the Rangers. Most recently on June 19, he allowed one run on two hits over six innings in the Royals’ 4-1 win. Overall, he is 1-3 with a 3.96 ERA in five career starts vs. Texas.
Semien, who is batting .203 since July 31, went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer on Sunday. He’s 3-for-9 over the last two seasons against Wacha.
The Rangers’ Joc Pederson has two career home runs against Wacha.