Rays vs Royals Preview: High-Powered Tampa Bay Faces KC

The Rays are swinging like a team on a mission. They're 49-33 right now and riding a six-game winning streak. Look at what they did the last two days in Kansas City—they crushed the Royals 10-4 and then shut them out 4-0. Caminero and Mullins are raking hard. Those guys are putting the ball in the seats and driving in runs constantly. When the Rays' lineup gets rolling like this, pitchers have nightmares. Ian Seymour takes the mound Thursday, and he'll need to stay sharp against a Royals team that just got dominated.

The Royals are 35-51 and struggling hard right now. They just lost to Tampa Bay twice in a row. That's two straight games where their bats went quiet or their pitching got hammered. Stephen Kolek is their starter today, and he's got to give them a chance to win. Kansas City's got some good pieces—Carlos Estévez is a solid closer. But when you're getting shut out one game and giving up ten runs the next, you've got bigger problems. They need their hitters to show up and give Kolek run support. Without it, this game could get ugly fast.

Ian Seymour gets his shot against a Royals team that's reeling. The Rays' pitching depth has always been their secret weapon. Even without some guys on the injured list, they keep finding ways to win. Tampa Bay's winning because their starters give them a chance, and their hitters finish the job. The Royals need to bounce back fast or this losing streak keeps growing. Kauffman Stadium is their house, so it's their last best chance to slow down the Rays. If Kansas City's lineup can't wake up and produce runs, they're looking at three straight losses to Tampa.