(Sports Network) - Kyle Davies tries to win his third straight start this evening when the Kansas City Royals play the second of three games against the Texas Rangers at Kauffman Stadium.

After giving up a run in five innings in his season debut against Cleveland on May 31, Davies was even better against the New York Yankees on Friday, as he allowed a run and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings to get the win.

Davies, who started the year at Triple-A Oklahoma, is 2-0 with a 1.54 earned run average.

However, he has struggled against the Rangers, losing all three of his starts, while pitching to an 8.03 ERA.

Texas will counter with righty Vicente Padilla, who will try to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season. Padilla lost for the first time since April 22 on Friday against Tampa, as he allowed three runs and five hits in six innings, dropping him to 7-3, while raising his ERA to 3.73.

Padilla is 1-1 in three career starts against the Royals, pitching to a 4.30 ERA in the process.

In the opener of this set on Tuesday, Ian Kinsler doubled and scored the winning run in the top of the ninth, after a four-run eighth inning helped Texas come back for a 6-5 win. Gerald Laird went 3-for-4 and Josh Hamilton knocked in his league-leading 70th RBI for the Rangers, who have won two in a row.

David Murphy, Chris Shelton and Milton Bradley each had an RBI in the win.

Kevin Millwood started for Texas, going six innings, and was touched for five runs on 11 hits. Eddie Guardado (1-1) took the win as he pitched a perfect eighth and C.J. Wilson earned his 12th save of the year with a scoreless ninth.

Jose Guillen went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored for Kansas City, which has dropped three of its last four contests overall and five of its last seven at home.

Gil Meche started for the Royals and lasted six frames, yielding a run on four hits. Yasuhiko Yabuta (1-1) was credited with the loss as he gave up an unearned run on three hits in 2/3 of an inning.

Texas took two of three from the Royals earlier in the season.