(Sports Network) - Rookie Shaun Marcum looks to snap a five-start winless drought tonight when the Toronto Blue Jays host the Kansas City Royals in the first of a three-game series at Rogers Centre.

Marcum has not won since July 23, when he scattered seven hits and allowed three runs in a 13-5 defeat of the New York Yankees. Since then he's 0-3 in five outings and is coming off a seven-hit, nine-run shellacking over 4 1/3 innings Saturday in Baltimore. The Orioles won the game, 15-0.

The right-hander made a relief appearance against the Royals earlier this season, throwing three shutout innings and allowing one hit with four strikeouts in Kansas City's 6-2 victory at Kauffman Stadium on July 6.

He also faced them in relief once last year. In those two combined appearances, Marcum has allowed one hit in four innings with six strikeouts and two walks.

Luke Hudson, who will take the ball for Kansas City tonight, allowed five hits and a run over seven innings in his last start, earning the victory in the Royals' 7-1 defeat of Oakland on August 18.

In his previous outing, on August 13 in Cleveland, he'd been hammered for eight hits and 10 earned runs while recording just one out.

Hudson, a 29-year-old right-hander, defeated the Blue Jays in his lone career start against them, allowing two hits and a run over five innings in a 13-3 victory at Kansas City on July 7.

On Thursday in Kansas City, rookie Andy Marte knocked in three runs to lead the Cleveland Indians over the Royals in the finale of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.

Mike Sweeney homered for the Royals, who lost their second straight. Starter Mark Redman allowed four runs on 10 hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Jimmy Gobble (3-5) absorbed the loss in relief.

On Wednesday in Toronto, Esteban Loaiza tossed a four-hit shutout and Milton Bradley drove in three runs to lead Oakland to a 6-0 win over the Blue Jays in the finale of a three-game set.

Gustavo Chacin (6-3), who was activated from the disabled list on Wednesday, was roughed up to the tune of five runs on six hits in just 1 1/3 innings of work. Reed Johnson had a pair of hits for the Blue Jays, who have dropped two of their last three.

The Royals haven't won a series in Toronto since taking two of three games from August 19-21, 2002. Kansas City lost five of six meetings at the Rogers Centre a year ago.

These clubs split a four-game series in Kansas City last month.