Houston rolls into Kauffman at 31-39 after dropping a series to the Angels, and the Royals (28-41) limp out of a Rangers set where they won the opener and then coughed up the next two at home. Sunday, June 14 closes the weekend, and both sides could really use the win heading into the next stop on the schedule. The pitching matchup is what it is — Houston's rotation has been the season-long problem, not the bats. Yordan Alvarez just took home AL Player of the Week honors for June 1-7 with a 1.386 OPS, and the Astros offense is actually top-5 in baseball in OPS. The arms behind Framber and Spencer Arrighetti are the reason this team is eight under. On the other side, Bobby Witt Jr. is doing Bobby Witt Jr. things — leading the majors in fWAR, 23 steals, and an MVP case forming in a lost season. He got pulled with knee soreness in Minnesota last weekend but has played through it. As long as he's in the lineup, the Royals have a puncher's chance against anybody. The injury ledger is where this game gets weird. Houston is running out a patchwork infield with Carlos Correa (ankle surgery), Nick Allen (hamstring), and LaMonte Wade Jr. (hamstring) all out, plus Yainer Diaz still on a rehab assignment. Kansas City lost Kyle Isbel to a Grade 3 plantar fascia tear and is still without Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic in the rotation. Both rosters are held together with duct tape. Seth Lugo's clean CT scan is the quiet good news for the Royals bullpen-management picture this week, even if he isn't toeing the rubber Sunday. The story for Kansas City is whether the offense outside of Witt can put together enough against a Houston staff that walks the ninth hitter more than any team in baseball. Getaway-day baseball, two teams that need the W more than they'd admit — perfectly fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon.