(My Sportsbook) - Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Armando Galarraga gets the nod this afternoon, when he takes the mound in the finale of a three-game series versus the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park.

Galarraga is 5-0 over his past seven starts, but did not factor in the outcome of a 4-3 loss versus Cleveland the previous time out on August 25. He was reached for three runs and eight hits in seven frames to keep his overall record at 12-4, while slightly raising his ERA to 3.20.

The young right-hander, who is 4-2 in 10 home starts this season, faced Kansas City for the first time in his career on July 23 at Kauffman Stadium. Galarraga pitched seven brilliant innings of one-run ball that day, while giving up three hits and striking out seven batters.

Detroit is relying on its young hurler to break its current slump, as the club suffered its fifth loss in six tries with Saturday's 13-3 defeat to the Royals. Magglio Ordonez and Jeff Larish each drove in a run for the Tigers, who are 1-4 on a 10-game homestand and 34-32 as the host.

Starter Kenny Rogers was saddled with the loss after surrendering six runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings of work. Nate Robertson came on in relief and allowed six runs on six hits in just 1 1/3 frames.

Kansas City won for just the second time in 13 games after its 13-run outburst last night. Billy Butler ended with a pair of home runs and four RBI, while Mike Aviles and Mark Teahen both knocked in a pair of runs for Kansas City.

Brandon Duckworth started for the Royals and picked up the win with six innings of three-run ball. He allowed seven hits, walked two batters and struck out four.

Kansas City will hand pitching duties over to Gil Meche on Sunday, and he is 10-10 with a 4.13 earned run average through 28 starts this season. Meche had been 4-0 in nine starts before losing his most recent outing on August 25 versus the Texas Rangers.

Meche allowed five runs and 14 hits in 6 1/3 innings of his team's 9-4 setback at Kauffman Stadium. It was his first loss since July 2 at Baltimore.

The right-hander is 7-4 with a 3.83 ERA in 16 career starts against the Tigers. Meche is 1-1 in two starts versus Detroit so far in 2008.

KC leads the season series with Detroit by an 8-6 margin, with a 4-1 ledger in the Motor City. The Royals swept the Tigers at Comerica Park to kick off the 2008 campaign from March 31-April 3.