Kansas City (38-46) at Baltimore (43-40)

Gil Meche may be the best pitcher going for the Kansas City Royals right now, but he has struggled against the Baltimore Orioles in recent years. Daniel Cabrera has dominated the Royals in his career but is trying to pitch his way out of a six-week funk for the Orioles.

The two pitchers try to find a way to continue their positive momentum as the Royals and Orioles continue a four-game series at Camden Yards on Wednesday night.

Meche (6-8, 4.66 ERA) is trying to win four straight starts for the first time since May 16-June 4, 2003, while pitching for Seattle. The right-hander has a 2.25 ERA during his winning streak, but is 0-5 in seven starts despite a 3.32 ERA versus the Orioles since the 2006 season.

While run support has been an issue in his struggles against Baltimore (42-40), he was hit hard in a 7-4 defeat May 9, giving up five runs and six hits - including two homers - in five innings. Meche had gone 4-0 with a 3.21 ERA in his first nine starts against the Orioles.

Meche, though, is coming off a solid outing, limiting St. Louis to one run in seven innings of a 7-2 victory Friday.

While Meche has pitched well of late, Cabrera (5-4, 4.53) is 0-3 with a 6.21 ERA in seven starts since defeating the New York Yankees on May 20. The erratic right-hander lost at Washington on Friday - giving up four runs in 6 1-3 innings - and was doomed by a leadoff walk to the No. 8 hitter that was followed by a tiebreaking double and a wild pitch that eventually led to another run in the seventh inning.

“He had it set up for him,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley told the team’s official Web site. “He had the 8, 9 and 1. The leadoff walk and the wild pitch, they came back to be big in the game.”

Cabrera, though, enters this start with a 4-0 record and 2.25 ERA in seven starts versus the Royals (38-46). His best outing of the year came at Kansas City on May 8, throwing a three-hitter with seven strikeouts in a 4-1 victory.

Orioles closer George Sherrill may finally get a night off, but it will be a deserved one after Tuesday’s 7-5 victory. Sherrill blew saves the previous two games and was pressed into duty when Dennis Sarfate struggled in the ninth, and nearly melted down again after giving up a two-run single in the ninth, but he retired Alex Gordon for the final out and his 27th save.

“It’s good to get this win and get the last two out of my system,” said the closer, who had fans - and Trembley - wearing T-shirts with his name and number as part of a giveaway.

Offensively, Brian Roberts and Melvin Mora may be able to aid Cabrera. Roberts is hitting .394 (13-for-33) lifetime versus Meche, while Mora is batting .357 (10-for-28) with two homers.

Kansas City had a six-game road winning streak snapped and lost for just the third time in its last 15 games.

It is uncertain if outfielder and leadoff hitter David DeJesus, who is hitting .404 (21-for-52) with 12 runs scored and 14 RBIs during a 13-game hitting streak, will miss a third straight game due to a bruised rib cage suffered Sunday when he landed on Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue’s mask after a collision at the plate.