Padres, struggling on the road, look to avoid sweep in Kansas City

In a weekend series between underachieving clubs, the Kansas City Royals have added to the San Diego Padres' misery on the road.

Winners of four straight at home, the Royals will try for a three-game series sweep of the Padres on Sunday.

Kansas City is last in the American League Central but has totaled 13 runs in taking the first two games of this post-All-Star break set against the Padres, who have lost 18 of their past 23 road contests.

Lane Thomas homered for the second straight game and Salvador Perez moved within two of tying George Brett's franchise-record 317 home runs with a two-run shot in Kansas City's 6-1 victory Saturday.

Thomas is batting .400 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in the past nine games.

"(Coming off the All-Star break), it's almost like a fresh start," Thomas told Royals.TV. "Forget about the first half."

The Royals have swept just two series this season, most recently at Seattle from May 1-3.

San Diego, meanwhile, entered the All-Star break at 48-48, but a winner in five of eight. However, after blowing a 6-3, 10th-inning lead in their 7-6 loss Friday, the Padres managed only a Fernando Tatis Jr. home run and six total hits, while going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and grounding into three double plays Saturday.

The Padres enter the Sunday game last in the majors with 386 runs scored this season.

"It's hard to score runs when the bats are sporadic," San Diego manager Craig Stammen said.

"Have to find a way to get that done."

Perhaps the Padres can generate some needed production against scheduled Kansas City starter Noah Cameron (5-7, 4.89 ERA), who's posted a 7.20 ERA and issued 15 walks and allowed seven home runs in his past six starts. Most recently, at Baltimore on July 11, the second-year left-hander went seven innings, but yielded five runs and three homers, during the Royals' 6-1 loss.

"He (understands) that picking around the zone isn't the way to go. (The Orioles) made him pay for pitches that weren't all that bad," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.

Cameron did not yield a homer at San Diego last season, but did give up five hits, three walks and two runs over 5 1/3 innings of Kansas City's 5-1 loss to the Padres on June 21, 2025.

He's slated to square off against German Marquez (4-2, 5.18). Despite that hefty ERA, the Padres are 6-2 in games he's started this season. San Diego rallied for a 5-4 victory in Marquez's most recent start July 12, against the Toronto Blue Jays -- even as the right-hander allowed three runs on two homers, plus four other hits, through just four innings.

Marquez, who will take the ball for a fourth time since missing two months due to nerve inflammation in his right forearm, is 1-1 with a 6.19 ERA in three career starts against the Royals.

Thomas and Perez are a combined 5-for-11 with a home run apiece versus Marquez. However, star teammate Bobby Witt Jr is 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against him.

San Diego's Ty France, who posted two doubles Saturday, is batting .373 with 21 extra-base hits in 41 career games versus Kansas City. However, he's 1-for-9 with two strikeouts against Cameron.

--Field Level Media