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Marlins Return Home To Face Red-Hot Royals

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MIAMI (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – The Miami Marlins got back on the right track after an impressive three game sweep in Pittsburgh over the weekend but will have their hands full as they return to Marlins Park.

The Kansas City Royals moved back into the playoff race with a dazzling 13-2 run and look to continue the surge when they visit the Miami Marlins on Tuesday for the opener of a three-game set.

The Royals have won eight straight - allowing nine runs over the last seven - while Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer are all making major contributions with the bats.

"We aren't thinking about how much time is left, or where we are in the standings," Hosmer told reporters about the Royals, who sit four games out of the second American League wild card. "We just come in and get our work done and we'll see how far that takes us."

Cain is 16-for-30 during an eight-game hitting streak, Hosmer has RBIs in seven consecutive contests and Gordon boasts five homers in his last six outings for Kansas City, which sends Yordano Ventura to the mound against Andrew Cashner.

Miami rebounded from three straight losses to Cincinnati (53-70) to sweep three from Pittsburgh over the weekend and stands 1½ games behind St. Louis for the National League's second wild card.

Christian Yelich homered for the third time in six games Sunday as the Marlins edged the Pirates 3-2.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City; FSN Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Yordano Ventura (8-9, 4.46 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Andrew Cashner (4-9, 4.92)

Ventura is 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA over his last four starts and has limited eight consecutive opponents to three or fewer runs despite a 2-3 record in that span.

The 25-year-old Dominican Republic native boasts 16 strikeouts and three walks in the last two outings.

Ventura, who faces the Marlins for the first time, is 0-2 against the NL this season and 3-5 with a 4.57 ERA in 11 career interleague games.

Cashner makes his sixth start for the Marlins since the trade and is looking for his first victory, allowing 14 runs over 21 1/3 innings during the first five.

The 29-year-old TCU product is 4-4 with a 3.70 ERA in home games this season with Miami and San Diego.

Kendrys Morales is 2-for-3 with a homer against Cashner, who lost his only meeting with Kansas City in 2014 after giving up four runs (two earned) in four innings.

WALK-OFFS

  1. Miami C J.T. Realmuto went 5-for-11 with a homer in the series at Pittsburgh, raising his batting average to .310.
  2. Morales, who leads the Royals with 20 homers and is second in RBIs (57), has hit safely in six straight games.
  3. The teams have not played in Miami since 2008 and the Marlins took two of three in Kansas City during the last series in 2013.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sports Direct Inc. contributed to this report.)

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