MLB Game Preview - Kansas City at Miami

Sun Sep 8, 2019 1:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals have played only five games at Marlins Park since it opened in 2012, allowing only seven runs in those games.

That stingy pitching includes two shutouts, as well as Saturday's 7-2 victory over the Marlins. The Royals have outscored the Marlins 10-2 in the first two games in this three-game series, which wraps Sunday afternoon.

Left-hander Mike Montgomery (3-7, 4.42 ERA) will get the next opportunity to shut down Miami's offense when he squares off with righty Sandy Alcantara (4-12, 4.26 ERA)

Montgomery took a no-decision in his last start against Detroit on Tuesday, as the Kansas City bullpen gave up his lead in a 6-5 walk-off win. He allowed seven baserunners in 5 2/3 innings but yielded just one run. He has struck out 41 batters in nine starts since joining the Royals at the trade deadline.

Montgomery is one of few Royals pitchers who have faced the Marlins. He pitched five shutout innings while with the Chicago Cubs, earning the win May 9 at Wrigley Field. He's 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in seven career appearances (one start) vs. Miami.

Alcantara, a 2019 National League All-Star, has lost six straight decisions, but he seems to have turned the corner. He's pitched at least seven innings in four of his last five starts, and he pitched six innings in the other. He has a 3.38 ERA in those five starts.

He allowed four runs on three hits with four walks and seven strikeouts across seven innings in a no-decision against the Pirates on Tuesday. The 23-year-old continues to pile up the strikeouts, fanning 22 hitters in his last 20 innings.

"It's really almost like he's turned the spigot and was like, 'I'm going to be aggressive,'" Miami manager Don Mattingly said of Alcantara after his start in Pittsburgh. "He's been attacking the zone. This guy's stuff is as good as anybody's. When he's like that, it doesn't matter the lineup.

"... When he's aggressive, the stuff plays. It's good to see him start to find himself."

Alcantara has never faced the Royals.

The Marlins' pitchers have been almost as tough on the Royals as Kansas City has been on Miami hitters. Prior to Saturday, the Royals had scored nine runs in the previous four meetings.

Kansas City manager Ned Yost might be looking for continued impact from recently acquired Ryan McBroom. McBroom, who made his debut Tuesday against the Tigers, is 6-for-16 in five games, including going 2-for-5 with two doubles Saturday. He had the key hit, a three-run double in the Royals' six-run seventh inning.

"We have a very lethal offense," McBroom said. "Once one of us or two of us get rolling, the rest of the guys go ahead and start hitting as well. Guys were just on base and made my job easy."

McBroom admitted to reporters that for a second he thought one of his doubles might be his first home run in the majors, joking that he'd have to hit the weight room on Sunday.

--Field Level Media