Kansas City @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 20, 2018 ) Kansas City 0, Tampa Bay 1

The Tampa Bay Rays send ace Blake Snell to the mound Tuesday night in search of their third straight shutout when the struggling Kansas City Royals pay a visit for the second of a four-game set. Snell has not allowed a run in his last two outings to push his career-high total to 14 wins and the Rays have blanked opponents over the past 23 innings after Monday’s 1-0 triumph in the series opener.

Four Tampa Bay pitchers limited Kansas City to six hits and two walks while stranding seven runners Monday after the Rays (64-61) beat the major league-best Boston Red Sox 2-0 on Sunday to finish a 5-4 road trip. Snell, who made his first All-Star Game last month, has held opponents to one run or fewer in seven of his last eight starts as he goes to the mound against Kansas City rookie Glenn Sparkman on Tuesday. The Royals (38-87) have lost 14 of their last 18 contests since winning the first encounter of August and are just one game ahead of the major league-worst Baltimore Orioles (37-88). Kansas City second baseman Whit Merrifield reached on an infield single in the eighth inning to extend his hitting streak to nine games, in which he is 14-for-36.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Glenn Sparkman (0-1, 4.95 ERA) vs. Rays LH Blake Snell (14-5, 2.10)

Sparkman makes his second major-league start after permitting two runs on four hits and one walk during his first turn Thursday in a no-decision against Toronto. The 26-year-old Texan, who was a 20th-round pick in the 2013 draft, had three straight scoreless relief outings before giving up five runs over 7 1/3 frames in his last three prior to getting a start. Sparkman is 0-1 with a 4.70 ERA in five appearances on the road in 2018, allowing opponents to bat .313 with five walks over 7 2/3 innings.

Snell has been outstanding since returning from a brief stint on the disabled list, yielding one run on five hits across 14 innings combined in three starts with two wins. The 25-year-old Washington native gave up two hits in five scoreless frames to beat the New York Yankees on Thursday after tossing five hitless frames at Toronto six days earlier. Drew Butera has a homer versus Snell, who permitted four runs and 10 hits over five innings to lose his only start against the Royals last year.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon needs one home run to pass Hal McRae (169) for fourth on the franchise’s all-time list.

2. Tampa Bay DH Ji-Man Choi had a bunt single Monday and is 9-for-28 during a nine-game hitting streak.

3. Royals 1B/DH Ryan O’Hearn went 0-for-3 on Monday but owns three homers and seven RBIs in his last six contests.

PREDICTION: Rays 7, Royals 2