Opposite dugout: Struggling Royals bringing up rear in AL Central

Manager: Ned Yost (8th season)

Record: 13-21

Last 10 games: 5-5

Who to watch: CF Lorenzo Cain (.284/.399/.379), 1B Eric Hosmer (.282, 14 RBIs), 3B Mike Moustakas (8 HR, 14 RBIs), C Salvador Perez (.283 with 7 HR, 20 RBIs), LHP Danny Duffy (2-3, 3.50 ERA), RHP Kelvin Herrera (5 saves, 3.46 ERA)

Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (2-4 in 2016)

Pitching probables:

May 12: RHP Dylan Bundy vs. LHP Danny Duffy, 8:15 p.m., MASN2
May 13: RHP Chris Tillman vs. RHP Nate Karns, 7:15 p.m., MASN2
May 14: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Chris Young, 2:15 p.m., MASN2

Inside the Royals:

Over the winter, when the PECOTA prognostications predicted a 71-91 record and last-place finish in the American League Central for the Royals, the Kansas City faithful brandished their pitchforks and torches and reminded the doubters that their club went to two straight World Series before winning in 2015 and that a nice mix of veterans and youngsters boded well for the future. Well, six weeks into the 2017 campaign, the Royals are bringing up the rear in the Central and showing that PECOTA may have been on to something. With free agency looming after the current season for key players like center fielder Lorenzo Cain, first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas, shortstop Alcides Escobar and pitcher Jason Vargas, there are rumblings that the Royals could be sellers at the trade deadline, eager to restock their farm system and reload for another run to contention.

But Kansas City still has a bunch of decent players under contract, and they're producing at various levels of competency. Moustakas returned from a devastating knee injury suffered last May and has clubbed a team-leading eight homers homers, forming a potent combination with Hosmer, who is slashing .282/.336/.389 with 14 RBIs. Catcher Salvador Perez is locked up through 2021, and has seven homers and a team-high 20 RBIs. But too many Royals are staring up at the Mendoza line, trying hard to get their batting averages over .200, including left fielder Alex Gordon (.158) and Escobar (.189). It's no wonder the Royals rank dead last in the majors in average (.217), runs (103), hits (244), on-base percentage (.279) and slugging percentage (.340) and that folks in BBQ central are more than a tad uneasy about the future. Cain has heated up over his last eight games, going 11-for-29 (.379). The Royals haven't had a winning streak of more than two games since taking four straight games in mid-April, and that binge was followed up by a nine-game skid.

Lefty Danny Duffy starts Friday's series opener and will be trying to snap a three-decision losing streak. He pitched at least seven innings in three of his first four 2017 starts, but hasn't done so since April 20. Duffy has done a good job of keeping the ball in the park, allowing only two home runs in 43 2/3 innings this season, but he's yielded a .324 average against with runners in scoring position. He's 2-2 with a 2.37 ERA in seven career games (five starts) against the Orioles. Take away a pair of poor road starts when he allowed 10 runs in 10 2/3 innings at the end of April, and right-hander Nate Karns' ERA would be 2.92 instead of 4.58. Karns, who draws the Saturday night assignment, has allowed six homers in 35 1/3 innings, but four came in a single start. Foes are batting .231 against him and only .116 at Kaufman Stadium. He's 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in six lifetime games (five starts) against the Orioles. Sunday's starter is listed as TBA, but right-hander Chris Young took this rotation turn the last time out and the 37-year-old will be seeking his first victory of the season. The 6-foot-11 former Princeton basketball player, who has morphed into a control and placement specialist, was tagged for four runs on seven hits over three innings in a May 9 start at Tampa Bay. Opponents are feasting on him to the tune of a .339/.423/.500 slash and he's allowing a .385 mark with runners in scoring position. But Young is 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA in nine games (five starts) against the O's in his career.

The bullpen was a strength of the Royals during their back-to-back trips to the Fall Classic, but this year's version boasts a 4.88 ERA, good for 24th in the majors. Closer Kelvin Herrera, another player who could be on the move if K.C. falls out of contention, has saved five of six games with a stingy 0.92 WHIP but a higher-than-usual 3.46 ERA.