Opposite dugout: Since last meeting, Royals and O's have gone in different directions

Manager: Ned Yost (6th season)

Record: 83-56

Last 10 games: 3-7

Who to watch: CF Lorenzo Cain (.312/.368/.487 with 14 HR, 65 RBIs, 27 SB), 1B Eric Hosmer (.309 with 14 HR, 81 RBIs), 3B Mike Moustakas (.281 with 16 HR, 60 RBIs), DH Kendrys Morales (.291 with 17 HR, 101 RBIs), RHP Wade Davis (0.94 ERA, 13 saves)

Season series vs. Orioles: 3-1

Pitching probables:

Sept. 11: LHP Danny Duffy vs. RHP Mike Wright, 7:05 p.m., MASN
Sept. 12: RHP Johnny Cueto vs. RHP Chris Tillman, 1:05 p.m., FOX
Sept. 13: RHP Yordano Ventura vs. LHP Wei-Yin Chen, 8:05 p.m., ESPN

Inside the Royals:

The Royals come to Camden Yards looking to re-establish some consistency after losing five of their last six games. They took two of three from the O's in Kansas City in late August, and are bound for another trip to the postseason. Last year, they sneaked in as a wild card, won the one-game playoff game with the A's and didn't stop winning until the World Series. Part of that run included sweeping the Orioles in the American League Championship Series, but the O's are more focused than staying out of last place in the AL East to remember their good fortune in 2014.

Kansas City is proof that decent offense, good pitching and strong defense is a workable blueprint to play in October. Throw in the speed the Royals possess and you have a team that has grown from pesky to performance-based. So far, it's added up to first place in the AL Central with an 11-game lead over Minnesota. K.C. boasts the second-highest batting average in the major leagues (.271), the fifth-most hits (1,288) and the fifth-highest stolen base total (93). They don't homer a lot, but they do a credible job of scoring the runners who reach.

Since coming off the disabled list from an extended stay with a left groin strain, Gold Glove left fielder Alex Gordon has slashed .455/.462/.591. Since the All-Star break, first baseman Eric Hosmer has slashed .337/.401/.534 with 36 RBIs. DH Kendrys Morales has been on a tear, batting .378 in September, and has already eclipsed the 100-RBI mark for the second time in his career, the first since 2009. Center fielder Lorenzo Cain has 14 homers, 65 RBIs and 27 steals to go with a .312/.368/.487 slash line. Seven players have double-digit homers, led by catcher Salvador Perez's 19 longballs.

On the few occasions when the offense isn't churning, the pitching can be pretty tough on opponents. Yes, the Royals bullpen is again top-notch, posting a majors-best 2.48 ERA and 48 saves, the third-most in the bigs, and shortening games because of its depth and power arms. K.C. pitching has allowed the sixth-fewest runs (534), has the seventh-best ERA (3.66) and has posted the ninth-best opponent batting average (.248).

Lefty Danny Duffy gets the ball in the series opener on Friday night. He's a one-time top prospect who has morphed into a usable back-of-the-rotation pitcher who can still run a 99 mph fastball toward foes. His last start, Sept. 5 against the White Sox, is a snapshot of his season: seven innings pitched and four runs allowed. But he's only worked seven or more innings four times in 22 starts. He won his lone 2015 start against the Orioles lasts month, lasting only 5 2/3 innings. On the road, he's 3-4 with a 4.21 ERA, but he's 4-3 with a 3.66 ERA since the All-Star break. Opponents have slashed .271/.346/.415 overall, but a little better on the road, where the line is .281/.347/.452. Lifetime, he's 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA in three games (two starts) against the Birds, with an 0-2 record and 3.38 ERA in two games (one start) at Camden Yards.

When the Royals dealt for Reds ace Johnny Cueto, Saturday's starter, at the non-waiver trade deadline, they expected to get a frontline pitcher to put their rotation over the hump. Well, it hasn't worked out that way. Cueto has lost his past four starts, posting a 9.45 ERA and a .394 batting average against. One of those games was Aug. 26 versus the Orioles, when he yielded six runs, including three homers, in five innings. Since the All-Star break, Cueto has gone 3-5 with a 4.21 ERA in 10 starts, allowing a .284/.330/.424 slash line. Overall, that mark is .228/.273/.370, so there's always a chance the veteran gets hot and reels off a handful of stellar games. From his first to 15th pitches, Cueto struggles: He allows a .302/.337/.500 slash line with three homers.

When the Orioles saw righty Yordano Ventura last month, the Royals were hoping he caught fire after an up-and-down start to his 2015 season that saw him briefly demoted to Triple-A. Well, his loss on Sept. 7 versus Minnesota snapped a string of six straight winning decisions over eight starts. Since the All-Star break, he's 6-2 with a 3.88 ERA, a stretch that includes the six shutout innings he twirled against the Orioles on Aug. 27. With none one, Ventura is tough - a .222 average against, which includes six solo homers. With runners on, foes slash .291/.349/.466 with seven homers and 51 RBIs. In three career starts against the Orioles, he's 2-1 with an 0.89 ERA, including a 1-0 record and 0.00 ERA in one career stat at Camden Yards.