Rays at Royals
The Tampa Bay Rays responded to an embarrassing performance with a strong one and can clinch a rare series win at Kauffman Stadium when they visit the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night for the middle contest of the three-game set. The Rays were winless in eight straight series (0-7-1) at Kansas City before taking two of three at Kauffman last August and edged the Royals 2-1 on Monday after giving up 17 runs one day earlier.
Tampa Bay’s C.J. Cron scored the first run Monday to help even the all-time series with Kansas City at 77-77 while extending his career-high on-base streak to 20 games and hitting safely in his seventh straight contest (11-for-29). Anthony Banda gets the start Tuesday for the Rays after being recalled and the Royals will counter with veteran Ian Kennedy, who has pitched in bad luck much of the season before getting pounded last time out. Kansas City lost for the fifth time in six games Monday and has allowed 44 runs during that stretch. Whit Merrifield had a homer and two singles in the series opener to extend his hitting streak to eight games (14-for-30), while Jon Jay was stranded after a triple in the ninth inning Monday and has hit safely in seven straight (12-for-33).
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Anthony Banda (2017: 2-3, 5.96) vs. Royals RH Ian Kennedy (1-4, 4.61)
Banda makes his first appearance for Tampa Bay after being acquired from Arizona in the deal that sent outfielder Steven Souza to the Diamondbacks. The 24-year-old Texas native made eight appearances (four starts) with Arizona last season, yielding just one home run in 25 2/3 innings with 25 strikeouts, and went 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA on the road in three games. Banda is 4-2 with a 3.50 ERA in seven outings for Triple-A Durham with 44 strikeouts in 36 innings.
Kennedy turned in his worst start of the season Thursday when he permitted nine runs on eight hits (three homers) across four innings versus Baltimore. The 33-year-old USC product, who is six strikeouts from 1,500 in his career, had yielded two or fewer runs in five of seven starts in 2018 - including six scoreless innings against Detroit on May 4. Brad Miller is 3-for-6 with a homer versus Kennedy, who is 1-5 with a 5.76 ERA in nine career games against Tampa Bay.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tampa Bay 3B Matt Duffy knocked in a pair of runs Monday and is 10-for-20 with five RBIs during a five-game hitting streak
2. Kansas City placed 1B/DH Lucas Duda (foot) on the 10-day disabled list Monday and recalled INF/OF Hunter Dozier from Triple-A Omaha.
3. The Rays are 7-3 against American League Central opponents while the Royals are 2-8 versus the AL East.