(Sports Network) - Mark Reynolds is starting to build a reputation as a clutch hitter. The third baseman brings his hot bat home tonight for the Arizona Diamondbacks' opener of a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at Chase Field.

Reynolds enters tonight's game as Arizona's leader in home runs (15) and RBI (45), and is also riding a five-game hitting streak. He is hitting .381 (8- for-21) over that run with four homers, nine RBI and six runs scored.

His streak began with a two-homer performance against the Pirates on Sunday, and Reynolds has come up with key hits in each of Arizona's last two games. On Wednesday, he belted a three-run homer off Mets' closer Billy Wagner in the top of the ninth to force extra innings in a game the Diamondbacks eventually lost, 5-3.

Reynolds then began the Diamondbacks' comeback in Thursday's finale with the Mets. Trailing 4-0, Reynolds plated two runs in the eighth inning with a triple that cut Arizona's deficit in half. Chris Young and Conor Jackson then drove in a run in the ninth off Wagner to again force extra innings, and this time the Diamondbacks posted a 5-4 victory after Miguel Montero brought home Justin Upton with sac fly in the 10th.

Arizona won two of three in the series and leads Los Angeles by 4 1/2 games for the top spot in the National League West.

Getting the nod for the D'Backs this evening will be Doug Davis, who is 2-3 with a 4.88 earned run average in six starts this season. Davis is 0-2 in his last three starts, having dropped a 6-4 decision at Pittsburgh on Sunday. Davis, who returned from surgery for thyroid cancer on May 23, was reached for five runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings of work against the Pirates.

The left-hander, a former American League pitcher with Texas and Toronto, owns a 2-2 record with a 6.03 ERA in seven career starts against Kansas City.

Zack Greinke will try to stop his recent string of poor starts when he takes the ball for Kansas City tonight. Greinke has dropped back-to-back starts and is 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA in his last four outings.

Greinke was beaten by the New York Yankees by a 6-3 score on Sunday. He allowed four runs and six hits in five innings to fall to 5-4 with a 3.77 ERA this season. Greinke has also yielded at least three runs in five straight trips to the mound.

The young right-hander was hammered in his only appearance against Arizona on June 10, 2005. Greinke surrendered 11 runs and 15 hits over 4 1/3 innings of a 12-11 setback in the desert.

The Royals avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of Texas on Thursday with a 6-5 victory. Alex Gordon homered and scored the go-ahead run as part of a 2- for-4 day at the plate.

Gordon is hitting .316 (6-for-19) over his last five games with two homers, three RBI and five runs scored.

Mike Aviles hit his first major-league home run, a two-run shot, for the Royals.

These two clubs are meeting for the first time since 2005, when the Royals won two of three in Arizona. The Diamondbacks won two of three when these teams last clashed in Kansas City in 2003.