Kansas City @ Tampa Bay preview
Tropicana Field
Last Meeting ( May 1, 2010 ) Kansas City 4, Tampa Bay 2
Through five starts, Zack Greinke remains winless. However, he’s not ready to panic just yet.
Greinke hasn’t cracked the win column after he managed 16 victories during his American League Cy Young-winning campaign last season, yet he’s been far from a disappointment.
Greinke is currently 0-2 with a 2.56 ERA and 27 strikeouts against seven walks through 24 2/3 innings. But he has been a victim of poor run support as the Royals have averaged a mere 3.2 runs during those five starts.
The right-hander has been nearly unhittable in his last two outings, despite walking away with no-decisions. He tossed seven shutout innings against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, allowing six hits with five strikeouts.
Greinke can get off the snide when he takes the mound Sunday in the finale of the four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays, the only American League team he has yet beat in his career.
The Royals have taken two of the three against the opposition, including the two contests following a 4-2 victory in 11 innings on Friday. Kansas City already has doubled its win total from last year against the Rays when it went 1-9 and is eying the team's first series win at Tropicana Field in six seasons.
Kansas City will counter with a young pitcher full of promise of its own in Wade Davis.
The 24-year-old has been impressive in his first full campaign in the majors and is among those in the early mix for the AL Rookie of the Year honors.
Davis is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 22.0 innings thorough four starts. He has wins in his previous two outings, allowing four total runs and nine hits in those 11 innings.
He has yet to face the Royals in his career.
Rookie Reid Brignac has been a pleasant surprise for the Rays at second base after he made the successful conversion from shortstop prior to the season.
Brignac has six RBIs over his last four games and is batting .283 on the season.
Kansas City outfielder Rick Ankiel was not in the lineup on Saturday for a seventh straight game because of right quadriceps injury, although he did make a pinch-hit appearance. His status remains day-to-day.
Second baseman Chris Getz knocked in a run in his second game since returning from the 15-day disabled list.