Royals  5    Orioles  3

Kansas City Royals (38-59) at Baltimore Orioles (42-55), 7:05 p.m.

Sports Network | July 27, 2009

(Sports Network) - The Royals are the lowest scoring team in the American League, but tonight they get to face a pitcher that has excelled in allowing runs.

Kansas City will try to rebound from an awful homestand tonight in the opener of a four-game series against Rich Hill and the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

The Royals hit the road after a 1-8 homestand, a residency in which their bullpen pitched to a 9.69 earned run average. After snapping a 10-game losing streak on Saturday Kansas City starter Sidney Ponson threw six shutout innings, but the bullpen went on to allow seven runs in a 7-2 setback.

Only four of those runs were earned thanks to an error by Alberto Callaspo in the seventh inning after he lost a ball in the sun.

"These guys, they feel the pressure in front of the hometown fans," manager Trey Hillman told the Royals' Web site. "They feel the disappointment. They know what they want. And they're frustrated not being able to produce.

Kansas City is just 20-48 since May 7 and has lost 13 of its last 15 games. The club is last in the AL with 379 runs scored, but that number could get a boost tonight versus Hill.

The 29-year-old Baltimore starter is in danger of losing his spot in the rotation, as he is winless in his last six starts. Hill is 0-2 with an 11.29 earned run average in that span, pitching at least six innings just once. He lasted only three innings versus the Yankees on Tuesday, getting charged with five runs on three hits and four walks.

The left-hander is 3-3 with a 7.64 ERA on the season and hasn't posted a decision in four home starts despite a 10.06 ERA at Camden Yards.

Hill faced the Royals for the first time in his career on May 16 and earned a win, allowing two runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings of work.

The Royals counter with Bruce Chen, who has lost all five of his starts this year and is still searching for his first win since 2005 while with Baltimore. He went 0-7 in 40 games with the Orioles in 2006, then failed to notch a decision in five appearances with the Rangers the following season.

Chen has pitched to a 6.58 ERA this year and after a relief outing versus the Rays on July 18, the 32-year-old lefty started against the Angels three days later and gave up three runs on seven hits over five innings of a 10-2 loss.

Chen has never faced the Orioles, who return home after a 2-7 road trip of their own.

Baltimore, though, did win the finale of that swing, besting the Red Sox by a 6-2 margin on Sunday to halt an 11-game slide in Boston. Nick Markakis had two hits, including a home run, and three RBI in helping the Orioles also snap a five-game losing streak overall.

"We don't have to talk about it anymore. People don't have to write about it anymore. And I'm being very serious," said Orioles manager Dave Trembley about the team snapping the losing streak in Boston. "It's more of a negative thing that people can cross off because what we're all about is being positive, understanding that we have young players, showing a lot of perseverance."

David Hernandez hurled seven innings of one-run ball, yielding five hits to get the win.

The Royals and Orioles split a four-game series in Kansas City earlier this year.