The Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals will continue a three-game series on Saturday evening at Kauffman Stadium. Friday's series opener finished by a 7-3 final in favor of the Rays, who cashed in as a -141 favorite. Tampa Bay currently holds an AL Wild Card spot at 52-41, while the Royals are having a rough season at 36-57.
Last year's season series finished at 4-2 in favor of the Rays. Kansas City last beat Tampa Bay in a season series back in 2017.
After closing the first half strong, the Rays also looked good out of the All-Star break, turning in a complete performance to take down the Royals on Friday. Randy Arozarena got Tampa Bay on the road with an RBI groundout in the third before Yandy Diaz delivered the big blow with a bases-clearing double one inning later, with Francisco Mejia also adding a pair of run-scoring hits.
Drew Rasmussen picked up the win with five innings of one-run ball, allowing seven hits and one walk while striking out four. Brandon Lowe had a multi-hit game with an RBI as he works his way back from injury.
“He's putting together a great season,” manager Kevin Cash said of Diaz via MLB.com. “When we've got guys on base, he's a pretty likable guy to be at the plate. You know he's going to give you a good at-bat.”
The Rays are now o ne win away from being in positive territory on the money line for the season while going 43-49 on the run line. Overs are above .500 at 44-43-5 for the Rays with each of their last four games going over the betting total.
It hasn't been easy at the plate for the Rays, who average only 4.22 runs per game on a .691 OPS. Tampa Bay pitching has made up for it, ranking fourth in the Majors with a 3.37 collective ERA including a mark of 3.40 from a strong bullpen.
Diaz is consistently on base, posting a .294/.407/.390 line with 26 RBI and 40 runs scored. Isaac Paredes has been huge in 51 games since getting called up, posting an .803 OPS with 13 home runs and 28 RBI.
Luis Patino is expected to make his third start of the season, having gone 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in just four total innings while missing significant time with a strained oblique. The 22-year-old went 3.1 innings in his return from the IL last Friday agai nst the Baltimore Orioles, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk without recording a strikeout.
Injuries have been a massive issue for Tampa Bay, with catcher Mike Zunino (shoulder inflammation), star shortstop Wander Franco (hamate surgery), center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (hip inflammation), outfielder Manuel Margot (sprained knee) and outfielder Harold Ramirez (fractured thumb) out currently on the position player side. The rotation is down Shane Baz (sprained elbow), Yonny Chirinos (fractured elbow), Tyler Glasnow (Tommy John surgery), Brendan McKay (thoracic outlet syndrome), Jeffrey Springs (lower leg tightness) and Josh Fleming (strained oblique). Relievers Nick Anderson (UCL surgery), Jalen Beeks (lower leg tightness), JT Chargois (strained oblique), J.P. Feyereisen (shoulder impingement) and Andrew Kittredge (Tommy John surgery) are out.