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KC@LAA: Smith allows just two hits over seven innings

While the Rangers are fighting off a couple of surging teams in the American League West, the Royals are fighting to claw their way out of the basement in the AL Central.

The two teams will meet Saturday in the middle game of a weekend series at Kauffman Stadium. For Texas, Scott Feldman gets the nod, his first as a permanent member of the rotation. He'll go up against the Royals' Will Smith, who's looking for his third straight quality start.

The Rangers won Friday's series opener, 5-3, snapping Kansas City's three-game win streak, while extending their own streak to three.

"I'm just trying to focus on these guys, going over film and the scouting reports and trying to make some good pitches," Feldman said about facing the Royals. "They can definitely swing the bat. I want to stay with a good mental approach and make my pitches."

In his last six appearances, which includes five starts, Feldman is 5-0 with a 2.91 ERA.

"I just have more innings under my belt," Feldman said. "Pitching is like hitting and fielding, the more you do it, the more you get a feel for it. That's what I think is happening."

His opponent, Smith, has been effective in each of his last two outings. Smith has allowed a combined four runs in 13 innings, notching four strikeouts in each start.

Left-handed hitters have hit .320 off Smith this season. Righties are batting .238 against him.

As a team, the Rangers own a .278 batting average, the highest mark in the Majors.

"It's nothing really different. You've still got a plan, still got to execute your pitches against them," Smith said about Texas. They might have bigger names in their lineup, but it's nothing really different. You've still got to do your job."

Rangers: Oswalt to stabilize bullpen
Feldman joined the Texas rotation when the team announced earlier this week that Roy Oswalt would be moved to the bullpen. Oswalt's first relief appearance came on Thursday, where he pitched two scoreless innings and earned a win. It was just his second outing as a reliever in eight years.

"He was outstanding," manager Ron Washington said. "He kept the ballgame right there and gave us a chance. I knew he would come in and throw strikes. I was concerned about him warming up and getting loose in a hurry and coming in to perform. But he performed very well."

Oswalt is reinforcing a bullpen that is coping with several injuries. Mark Lowe remains on the disabled list with a strained intercoastal muscle in his right ribcage. Koji Uehara, who is on the disabled list with a strained lat muscle in his right ribcage, is still limited to throwing long toss.

Royals: Moustakas should start Saturday
Third baseman Mike Moustakas did not start on Friday, a day after aggravating his right knee by sliding into second base in the 11th inning of the Royals' 7-6 victory over the Indians. It was the same knee he bruised on a fielding play a week ago in Seattle.

Because Texas used southpaw Matt Harrison on Friday, manager Ned Yost thought it was a good time to give the left-handed-hitting Moustakas a day off.

"It's a bone bruise in his knee, where the bones kind of banged together in Seattle, and he banged it again," Yost said. "It was a little more sore than it has been."

Moustakas is expected to play on Saturday when Feldman, a righty, starts for the Rangers.

Worth noting
• Kansas City is 2-1 against the Rangers this season after Friday's loss in the series opener. The Royals won both games of a brief set in May.

• On the road, Texas is 28-22. The Royals are 20-31 at home.

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