Royals’ Game 5 starter, Johnny Cueto, aims to improve his postseason credibility

The Kansas City Royals traded away three top prospects to acquire Johnny Cueto for the playoffs, even though his winning pedigree has been established almost entirely in the regular season.

He’ll have an opportunity to change that Wednesday night.

The right-hander, who is 0-2 with a 5.52 earned-run average in four postseason starts, will take the mound for Kansas City in Game 5 of the American League division series against the Houston Astros.

The Astros will counter with Collin McHugh, who threw a gem in winning the series opener. In Game 2 of the series, Cueto gave up four runs, seven hits and three walks in six innings as he got no decision in a 5-4 victory that evened the series.

The Royals have won nine of their past 10 elimination games, and now have momentum on their side.

The situation right now? Solving a pitcher who shut them down less than a week ago.

McHugh gave up two runs — both on homers by Kendrys Morales — and six hits over six innings against the Royals in Game 1, shrugging off a 49-minute rain delay in the process. With a vicious slider and unflappable confidence, he calmly took care of a potent Kansas City lineup.

That placid demeanor was still there Tuesday, 24 hours from the biggest start of his career.

“I don’t know how I come off to other people,� McHugh said. “It’s always interesting. I have to ask my wife a lot how I look to other people. She usually gives me honest feedback.�

While he may not be as recognizable as Cueto, the right-hander who bounced through the Mets and Rockies systems before landing in Houston has been every bit as tough. He won 19 games during the regular season, and has won his last six decisions overall.

When Houston Manager A.J. Hinch was asked whether he could use star pitcher Dallas Keuchel on three days’ rest in relief, he replied: “Not if McHugh pitches the whole game.�

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The Texas Rangers have won their last 11 games started by Cole Hamels.

They needed each of those victories to get this far, and their season will be over without another one Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays in the Game 5 of this AL division series.

Hamels, the 2008 World Series most valuable player, will be pitching in a winner-take-all game for the first time when he goes against Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman in a rematch of Game 2 of the ALDS. The Rangers won 6-4 in 14 innings Friday when both starters pitched seven innings and departed with the score 4-4.

Stroman, who tore a ligament in his left knee during a spring training fielding drill in March, went 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA after rejoining the rotation in mid-September.

“He’s defied all the odds, that’s for sure,� Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons said of Stroman. “If anybody can rise to the occasion, it would be him.�

Hamels, who is 7-4 with a 3.05 ERA in 14 postseason starts, threw a three-hitter against the Angels in the regular season finale to clinch the AL West title. That was his only complete game since he was acquired from Philadelphia on July 31, when he was coming off a no-hitter for the Phillies.

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Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano has undergone surgery to address core muscle injuries and is expected to be OK for spring training. The surgery was done in Philadelphia to fix injuries on Cano’s left and right sides. The recovery time is expected to be six weeks.

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Dave Dombrowski, the new Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations, said that the team is committed to playing Hanley Ramirez at first base next season. Dombrowski added that Ramirez and his representatives are on board with the plan. Dombrowski said that for next season he will be looking for a front of the rotation starter and some arms for the bullpen.