Kansas City @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2018 ) Kansas City 3, Tampa Bay 6

The Tampa Bay Rays had been struggling against sub-.500 teams since mid-July, but they can finish off a four-game home sweep against the struggling Kansas City Royals with a fifth straight victory overall Thursday night. The Rays came into the series 8-13 in their last 21 games against teams with records under .500 before limiting Kansas City (38-89) to four runs in the first three games - most of them in a 6-3 victory Wednesday.

Tampa Bay (66-61) is five games over .500 for the first time this season and Mallex Smith has played a big role with multiple hits in six of his last seven games while Ji-Man Choi takes a nine-game hitting streak into the series finale. Tyler Glasnow will make his fifth start for the Rays since being acquired from Pittsburgh on July 31 and left-hander Danny Duffy is expected to come off the disabled list to get the call for Kansas City. The Royals, who are 0-6 against Tampa Bay this year, have dropped five of their last six contests overall and nine of the past 10 on the road. Whit Merrifield homered Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 11 games and Hunter Dozier belted his sixth home run in the setback to celebrate his 27th birthday.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Danny Duffy (7-11, 4.90 ERA) vs. Rays RH Tyler Glasnow (1-3, 4.10)

Duffy (shoulder) will likely get his 26th start of the season after throwing a bullpen session on Monday and coming out of it without any soreness. The 29-year-old California native gave up six runs in each of his last two starts on Aug. 5 and 11 after he had won three of the previous four outings. Carlos Gomez is 3-for-7 with a double versus Duffy, who is 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA in four career starts against Tampa Bay.

Glasnow allowed five runs - four in the first inning - on three hits and three walks across 6 2/3 frames to suffer the loss at Boston on Saturday in his last outing. The 24-year-old Californian permitted three runs on six hits over 12 innings with 20 strikeouts in his first three starts with the Rays. Glasnow, who made 34 relief appearances with the Pirates before the trade, has struck out 96 in 74 2/3 innings overall.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay OF Tommy Pham suffered a dislocated right ring finger Tuesday and is considered day-to-day.

2. Kansas City INF Alcides Escobar has hit safely in seven straight games, going 9-for-24 during that stretch.

3. Rays CF Kevin Kiermaier is 8-for-19 with three doubles during a five-game hitting streak to raise his batting average to .196.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Royals 2