KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Interstat) — The Kansas City Royals will look to snap a five-game skid and avoid a series sweep when they host the Baltimore Orioles in an afternoon matchup Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals (7-16) have dropped the first two games of the series, including a 7-5, 12-inning loss Monday and a 3-1 defeat Tuesday. They have lost 10 of their last 12. Baltimore (11-12) has won two straight and will send right-hander Michael Wacha (2-0) to the mound. Wacha has been a bright spot in the early season for the Orioles, who have weathered a slow start. Kansas City will counter with right-hander Seth Lugo, who is coming off a stellar performance despite taking the loss Monday. Lugo tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven. He has a 1.29 ERA over his last three starts but has received minimal run support. A player to watch for Baltimore is center fielder Leody Taveras, who drove in four runs with a home run in Monday’s extra-inning victory. He has two homers and eight RBIs in his last 10 games. The Royals’ offense continues to struggle, scoring three or fewer runs in seven of their last 10 games. They rank near the bottom of the majors in runs scored. According to National Statistical, the Orioles are projected to win 4-1. Baltimore is a -1.5 run favorite, and the over/under is set at 9. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CDT under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 78 degrees. Following the game, the Orioles return home to open a series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday. The Royals will remain at home to begin a weekend set with the Los Angeles Angels.