Cleveland (25-29) at Kansas City (21-34)

C.C. Sabathia is starting to pitch like a Cy Young award winner again. Not many pitchers have had trouble shutting down the reeling Kansas City Royals in recent weeks.

Sabathia, who has put together four straight outstanding starts, takes the mound for the Cleveland Indians as they try to saddle the Kansas City Royals with their 13th straight loss Saturday night.

After opening this three-game series with a 5-4 win Friday night, Cleveland (25-29) will look to the 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner as it tries to win consecutive games for the first time since a three-game run from May 14-16.

Sabathia (3-6, 4.74 ERA) is beginning to settle down after struggling early. He is 2-1 with a 1.20 ERA in his last four starts, and has given up two runs or less in six of his last seven outings.

The left-hander allowed one run and five hits in seven innings as Cleveland lost 2-1 to Texas on Sunday.

Sabathia is 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA in two starts versus the Royals this season, and 14-9 with a 3.35 ERA in 30 career starts against them.

Kansas City has fallen into a long slump since the last time it faced Sabathia, a 4-2 Royals win on May 3. They are within one loss of matching the longest losing streak in the majors in nearly two years. Kansas City lost 13 in a row in May 2006, and Pittsburgh also dropped 13 straight in June 2006.

“I’m at a loss,” said Kansas City manager Trey Hillman, whose team hasn’t won since May 18, against Florida.

The Royals have scored just 32 runs while hitting a major league-low three home runs during their losing streak. They haven’t homered since May 22 in Boston.

Cleveland’s lineup, meanwhile, lost slugger Travis Hafner on Friday. The veteran designated hitter was put on the disabled list due to a strained right shoulder.

“He still didn’t feel like himself,” Indians head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff told the team’s official Web site.

But Cleveland has improved at the plate in its last three games after being held to three runs or less in seven of its previous 10 contests. The Indians have won two of three, scoring 18 runs.

Cleveland will try to give Sabathia some well-deserved run support. The Indians have scored two runs or less in eight of his 11 starts.

Grady Sizemore hit two of Cleveland’s three home runs Friday, and is batting .360 (9-for-25) with four homers and seven RBIs in six games versus the Royals this season.

Kansas City has surrendered three or more home runs four times this season and is 0-4 in those games. Royals pitchers have a 6.19 ERA over the team’s last nine contests.

Kyle Davies (3-7, 6.66, 2007), who was acquired in a trade in July with Atlanta for Octavio Dotel, will make his season debut for Kansas City.

The right-hander was optioned to Triple-A Omaha after going 1-0 with a 4.00 ERA in three exhibition games. He went 6-2 with a 2.06 ERA in 10 starts with Omaha.

Davies has lost all three of his starts against the Indians, posting a 12.27 ERA.