Royals vs. Rays Preview
TAMPA (AP) – The Kansas City Royals are struggling to score runs – especially against the Tampa Bay Rays.
They’ll look to break out of their funk when the teams meet again Wednesday night at Tampa Bay.
Kansas City (49-67) fell 4-0 to the Rays on Tuesday, and has totaled 11 runs during a 1-4 stretch. The Royals have also been shut out in two of their last three meetings with Tampa Bay, with the lone exception a 2-1 loss Monday to open this series.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers have made the Rays -135 money line favorites for Wednesday’s game against the Royals. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 65% of more than 348 bets for this game have been placed on the Rays -135.
James Shields threw his major league-leading eighth complete game Tuesday as Kansas City went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.
Royals leadoff man Alex Gordon, 2 for 20 over his last five games, went hitless in four at-bats and is now 1 for 45 in 13 career games at Tropicana Field. His only hit came in Monday’s loss.
“We had a couple chances,” said Jeff Francoeur, who had one of Kansas City’s six hits Tuesday. “Guys like Shields, you get a guy on third and that’s when those guys become their best.”
The Royals hope to snap out of it against Rays starter Wade Davis (8-7, 4.55 ERA), whom they beat 10-4 on July 22. Davis allowed six runs and 11 hits over 5 1-3 innings in that contest, his first defeat against Kansas City in three career starts.
Poor beginnings have plagued Davis in his last three outings. The right-hander has allowed 10 first-inning runs – including three against the Royals – over that span. He gave up two in the first inning Thursday but recovered to last 7 2-3 innings, matching a season high. He yielded three total runs against Toronto in a game Tampa Bay won 7-6 in 12 innings.
“That’s going to be my main goal, to go out and get through (the first inning) a lot better this time,” Davis said.
The Rays (61-54) have provided Davis with 21 runs of support over his last 24 innings.
Evan Longoria drove in all four runs Tuesday with a two-run single in the first inning and a two-run homer in the sixth. He has 12 RBIs over his last 12 games despite a .188 average in that span, as four of his nine hits have been home runs.
Longoria is hitting .414 with four homers and 11 RBIs over his last eight games against the Royals.
“Longo getting back on track always makes the Rays a better ballclub,” manager Joe Maddon said.
Tampa Bay, which has won five of seven, hopes to continue its recent strong play against Royals starter Felipe Paulino (1-4, 3.56).
Paulino has pitched pretty well over his last six starts despite a 1-3 record, not allowing more than four runs in any outing while compiling 41 strikeouts. He gave up three runs in 6 2-3 innings Friday but didn’t factor into the decision of the Royals’ 4-3, 10-inning loss to Detroit.
The right-hander allowed four runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-0 loss to the Rays on July 24 – his only career appearance against Tampa Bay.
The Rays have won 22 of their last 28 meetings with Kansas City at Tropicana Field.
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