Tampa Bay @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 16, 2013 ) Kansas City 5, Tampa Bay 3

The Tampa Bay Rays are squeezing in a trip to play the Kansas City Royals for a make-up contest Monday in between a pair of three-game sets at home. The Rays have won four straight series to solidify their place atop the American League wild-card standings and trail the Boston Red Sox by one game in the AL East. Evan Longoria leads Tampa Bay with a three-game home run streak and six over his last 12 contests.

The Royals scored 17 runs combined to defeat the Rays in the first two games of the series at home before the May 2 contest was snowed out. Kansas City snapped a seven-game losing skid Sunday with a 6-4 victory over Washington and is seven games out of the AL wild card race. Alex Gordon leads the Royals with 65 RBIs, followed by Eric Hosmer (64) and Billy Butler (63).

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, No TV

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (10-7, 5.01 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jeremy Guthrie (12-10. 4.27)

Hellickson made it to the sixth inning in only one of his last five starts, going 0-4 while allowing 20 runs over 22 1/3 innings. The right-hander hasn’t fared well against the Royals this season, giving up 12 runs in 10 2/3 innings with a loss and a no decision. Butler is 7-for-12 and Gordon 6-for-12 versus Hellickson, who is 1-1 in five career outings (four starts) against Kansas City with a 4.85 ERA.

Guthrie owns a three-start losing streak as he tries to become the first Royals pitcher to win 13 games since Zack Greinke (16) in 2009. The right-hander, who gave up five runs (four earned) in seven frames to lose at Tampa Bay on June 15, has surrendered 25 homers. Matt Joyce is 11-for-30 with two homers against Guthrie, who is 7-11 in 22 career games (20 starts) with a 4.20 ERA versus Tampa Bay.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Royals have won nine of their last 12 against Tampa Bay overall (5-1 in 2013) and five in a row at home.

2. Tampa Bay OF David DeJesus is 4-for-7 with two runs scored in two games since being acquired from Washington.

3. Kansas City has 132 outfield assists since the beginning of the 2011 season. No other team in the majors has 100 in that span.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Royals 4