Royals, amid wild-card race, search for offense vs. Nats

A pair of anemic offenses will try to find some life when the Kansas Royals visit the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.

The Royals (83-74) won the series opener 1-0 on Tuesday night, scoring an unearned run in the 10th inning to snap a seven-game losing streak. The run ended a 27-inning scoreless stretch.

Kansas City did not, however, end its offensive struggles. The Royals managed eight hits but went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Kansas City has scored five runs in its past six games as it battles for an American League wild-card spot.

The Royals are tied with the Tigers (83-74) for the final two AL playoff positions, two games ahead of the Minnesota Twins (81-76). Detroit and Kansas City trail the Baltimore Orioles (87-70) by four games for the top wild-card spot.

Washington (69-88) was shut out for the second straight game and has scored 14 runs in its past eight contests.

Kansas City right-hander Michael Lorenzen (7-6, 3.43 ERA) is expected to return from the injured list to make the start on Wednesday. Lorenzen, who strained his left hamstring on Aug. 27, has been excellent since arriving from the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline, going 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA in five starts.

His longest rehab start was 3 1/3 innings, so he likely will be on a pitch limit.

"No excuses, just give everything you can," Lorenzen said. "I'll let (manager Matt Quatraro) make the decisions on how long he keeps me out there. Obviously, I'm going to try and do the best I can and give him as many innings as I possibly can."

Lorenzen is 1-2 with a 5.35 ERA in 15 career games (four starts) against Washington.

He will be opposed by Washington rookie DJ Herz (4-8, 4.30 ERA). The left-hander will face the Royals for the first time in his career.

After winning back-to-back starts, Herz was knocked out early by the New York Mets in his latest start, surrendering seven runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings on Sept. 18. He retired nine of the first 11 batters he faced but wound up responsible for seven of New York's nine fourth-inning runs in the worst start of his brief career.

"When he fell behind, he would walk guys. When he got ahead, he couldn't put guys away," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "It felt like everything was speeding up on him. I saw he was getting a little frustrated, so we got him out of there."

The Royals took the series opener on Tuesday when automatic runner Kyle Isbel scored on a 10th-inning throwing error by shortstop Nasim Nunez.

"We knew it's going to come down to probably a game like this to get us back on track," said Cole Ragans, who threw six scoreless innings as the first of five Kansas City pitchers combined on a five-hitter.

The Nationals were shut out for the 17th time this season.

"It all came down to one play. And execution, not being able to hit the ball," Martinez said. "It's kind of been a common theme these last few weeks."

Quatraro said Tuesday the Royals would be without right-hander Hunter Harvey (back) for the remainder of the year. The reliever was picked up in a July trade with the Nationals.

Washington recalled outfielder Stone Garrett from Triple-A Rochester and placed infielder Andres Chaparro on the paternity list.

--Field Level Media