Royals at Rays
Faced with the prospect of losing a fifth consecutive game, the Tampa Bay Rays found their groove at the plate in time to take their series opener with the Kansas City Royals. The Rays will try to win two in a row from the visiting Royals when the teams continue a three-game series Tuesday night.
Entering the series on a four-game skid, Tampa Bay fell behind 3-1 to Kansas City on Monday before posting five unanswered runs to claim a 6-3 victory, its ninth in a row versus the Royals. Mike Zunino returned from the paternity list to slug a tie-breaking two-run homer in the seventh - his first in a Rays' uniform - and Yandy Diaz added a solo blast in the eighth for Tampa Bay. Kansas City received early home runs from Alex Gordon, Jorge Soler and Hunter Dozier but still lost for the fourth time in a row. Dozier, who has four long balls in his last eight games, left Monday's contest due to back spasms.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Homer Bailey (2-1, 4.30 ERA) vs. Rays RH Ryne Stanek (0-0, 1.46)
After picking up one victory in 20 starts last year, Bailey has won back-to-back appearances with dominant outings against Cleveland at home and the New York Yankees on the road. He first held the Indians to two hits in seven scoreless innings on April 13 before limiting the Yankees to a run in six frames five days later. The 32-year-old, who has never faced the Rays, has 27 strikeouts and 18 hits allowed in 23 innings on the season.
Stanek will serve as the opener for the sixth time, having worked eight scoreless innings through his first five starts. He also has eight scoreless frames at home this year while yielding four hits and striking out eight. Jalen Beeks and Ryan Yarbrough are candidates to eat up some innings once Stanek's night is over (Stanek has yet to pitch more than two innings or throw more than 32 pitches).
WALK-OFFS
1. Gordon has homered in consecutive games and has eight RBIs over his last six contests.
2. Rays RHP Emilio Pagan picked up his first career save with a scoreless ninth in Monday's win.
3. Kansas City's last win over Tampa Bay came on Aug. 29, 2017.