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Royals-Rays Preview

Aug 2, 2009 - 12:16 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Kansas City (40-62) at Tampa Bay (56-47), 1:38 p.m. EDT

Needing to make up ground in the races for the AL East and the wild card, the Tampa Bay Rays are trying to make the most of their greatest opportunity to stockpile victories.

With just two games remaining in their season series with the woeful Royals, the reigning AL champions will try Sunday to remain unbeaten this season against Kansas City as the clubs continue their four-game set at Tropicana Field.

For a decade, the Rays and Royals were often partners in misery at the bottom of the AL, but the dynamic has quickly shifted both in the standings and the head-to-head series.

Tampa Bay (57-47) won five of eight against Kansas City last year en route to a World Series appearance. While the Rays chase the New York Yankees and Boston to try to climb back into contention again this season, the Royals have the AL's worst record thanks in part to an 0-8 mark against Tampa Bay.

The first two games of this series have been as lopsided as ever. After an 8-2 win Friday night, the Rays won 7-1 on Saturday afternoon, holding Kansas City to five hits.

The Royals have dropped 10 of their last 11 at Tampa Bay, where the Rays are 90-41 since the start of 2008.

"They've beaten us in a bunch of different fashions," Kansas City's Mark Teahen said. "We haven't been able to figure them out to this point."

Facing the Royals figures to give James Shields a good chance at his first win in six weeks.

Shields (6-7, 3.87 ERA) tied for the team lead with 14 wins last year, but he's still looking for his first victory since June 20. In his last seven outings, he's 0-2 with a 5.04 ERA, sometimes the victim of nonexistent run support and sometimes of his own struggles.

Both were factors Monday against the Yankees, when he gave up five runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 11-4 loss, telling his team's official Web site that he "didn't have my good stuff." The Rays didn't score any runs while he was in the game, as Shields allowed nine hits and three walks.

Shields hasn't gone eight straight starts without a win since his rookie year in 2006. It could help that he's 5-0 in six starts against Kansas City, although he didn't earn a win after giving up a season-high seven runs in 5 1-3 innings on July 17 in Tampa Bay's 8-7 victory.

His opponent in that game was Brian Bannister, who needed 111 pitches to get through five innings, allowing four runs - two earned - while walking four.

Bannister (6-7, 3.80) has not received a decision since before the All-Star break, but he's coming off his first quality outing over that span. He allowed three runs in six innings of Kansas City's 4-3, 11-inning win over Baltimore on Tuesday.

The Royals (40-63) have dropped four straight since, and their lengthy run of dismal play shows few signs of ending. Manager Trey Hillman's club is 22-52 since May 8, the worst record in the majors over that span.

Kansas City is averaging 3.4 runs in those games, 30th among all major league teams in that stretch by a wide margin.