Wild-card-contending Royals out to halt skid at Nationals

The slumping Kansas City Royals will try to get well when they visit the Washington Nationals for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night.

Kansas City (82-74) entered Monday tied for the second wild-card spot in the American League despite losing seven straight games for the second time in less than three weeks.

The Royals finish the regular season with three games at Washington (69-87) and three at the Atlanta Braves as they battle the Detroit Tigers (82-74), Minnesota Twins (81-75) and Seattle Mariners (80-76) for the final two wild-card spots behind the Baltimore Orioles (86-70).

The Royals were shut out for the second straight game Sunday, 2-0 by the Giants, and went 0-6 on their final homestand.

"Just stay the course," Michael Massey said. "We've done things to put ourselves in this position, and the last week of the season is probably not the time to throw darts at a wall blindfolded because things aren't going our way."

Kansas City has scored four runs in its past five games.

"No luck, no clutch -- those two variables in all the games," Tommy Pham said. "Our pitchers, for the most part, gave us a chance in all the games. We just didn't help them out."

As for the Royals' final two opponents, Washington is playing out the string, and Atlanta could be as well this weekend depending on how its three-game series against the Mets plays out.

In a matchup of left-handers, the Royals' Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.24 ERA) opposes the Nationals' Mitchell Parker (7-10, 4.44) on Tuesday.

Ragans has enjoyed a strong September, going 1-0 in three starts with a 1.42 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 19 innings. Last time out, he allowed one run in seven innings against the Tigers, taking a no-decision in a 3-1 Royals loss.

He has never faced the Nationals.

Parker looks to finish his rookie campaign with a solid outing. He is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in his past five starts. In his last outing, he was roughed up by the Mets, allowing five runs on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout in 3 2/3 innings. He has never faced the Royals.

"I was getting two strikes (on the hitter) and wasn't able to put anything away," Parker said. "You can't really walk two guys and not expect anything bad to happen, especially against a team like the Mets."

The Nationals are limping to the finish line of what they hope will be the last season of a multi-year rebuilding campaign. After sending All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to the minors Saturday for an off-the-field issue, Washington completed a 1-6 road trip with a 5-0 loss to the Cubs on Sunday.

It was the 34th time the Nationals have been held to one run or fewer.

"We had some innings going where we could've gotten some runs," manager Dave Martinez said after his team went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. "We just couldn't drive in any runs. We just start chasing in those moments. Let the pitcher be the guy that feels like he's got to struggle. We're going to get better."

Jose Tena and James Wood had two hits apiece for Washington, which finished with a 33-48 road record.

The Nationals need to win three of their final six games to surpass last year's win total of 71.

--Field Level Media