GameDay Preview: Rays Set to Battle Royals, 100-Degree Heat on Saturday
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Tampa Bay Rays look to continue their winning ways on Saturday night when they take on the Kansas City Royals in the second game of their three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.
The Rays won the opener 7-3 on Friday night, and have now won seven of their past eight games around the All-Star break. They are 52-41 and are 11 games over .500, tying a season high.
They'll turn to Luis Patino on the mound. He made his first start in more than three months on July 15, returning from a left oblique strain that knocked him out in the first inning of his first start during the Rays' fourth game of the season.
Rays manager Kevin Cash is looking for growth from Patino with every start, and he's expecting good things on Saturday night.
“I’d like to see a little bit better pitch execution and get a little deeper in the ballgame, and if the velocity can tick up a little bit, that’d be great,'' Cash said. "I thought he competed well that last outing, and I’d like to see him pick up and make the subtle improvements needed to be the pitcher we know he can be.’’
With some extra time between starts, Cash said Patino and pitching coach Kyle Snyder had a good work day, and he expects his breaking ball to be better on Saturday night.
“They had a normal work day after this outing, which he hadn’t had in a while (during all of his rehab starts in Durham),'' Cash said. "They think he’s in a better place with the breaking ball, and if he gets in a better spot with the breaking ball, he’ll get more swing and miss on both pitches.’’
It's blazing how here in Kansas City for the second straight night. It was 95 degrees at first pitch on Friday night, and it might even be a few degrees hotter on Saturday.
Here's how to watch Saturday night's game, with TV information, the starting lineups, pitching bios and a load of newsy nuggets.
How to watch Rays at Royals
- Who: Tampa Bay Rays (52-41) at Kansas City Royals (36-57)
- When: 7:10 p.m. ET, Saturday, July 22
- Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
- TV: Bally Sports Sun
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
- Announcers: Dewayne Staats (play-by-play), Doug Waechter (color commentary) and Tricia Whitaker (reporter).
- Radio: WDAE 95.3 FM, SiriusXM Channel 183 (Royals announcers; Rays online)
- Announcers: Andy Freed and Dave Wills.
- Latest line: The Royals are actually favored at minus-116 on the money line in according to the Fanduel.com website line as of Saturday morning. The Rays are minus-122. The over/under is 10, the highest line of the season.
Projected pitchers
- LUIS PATINO, RAYS: Luis Patino is 0-1 with 6.75 earned run average in his limited amount of work so far in 2022. He left in the first inning of his first start back in mid-April with a left oblique strain, and returned to the rotation on July 15. He went 3 1/3 innings in that game against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing two runs, both earned, and four hits in the Rays' 5-4 win.
- BRADY SINGER, ROYALS: Brady Singer is 4-3 with a 4.02 earned run average this season. The former University of Florida pitcher, who helped the Gators win the 2017 NCAA College World Series, will turn 26 next week. This is his third season with the Royals, and his career record is 13-18. He last pitched on July 13, allowing just one run in six innings in a win over the Detroit Tigers.
Projected lineups
- TAMPA BAY RAYS: Yandy Diaz 3B, Brandon Lowe 2B, Luke Raley LF, Ji-Man Choi 1B, Taylor Walls SS, Josh Lowe DH, Francisco Mejia C, Brett Phillips CF, Roman Quinn RF, Luis Patino P.
- KANSAS CITY ROYALS: MJ Melendez C, Bobby Witt Jr. SS, Andrew Benintendi LF, Hunter Dozier RF, Vinnie Pasquantino DH, Whit Merrifield 2B, Nick Pratto 1B, Kyle Isbel CF, Nicki Lopez 3B, Brady Singer P.
Newsy nuggets
- 1. SPRINGS TO START SUNDAY: Kevin Cash said that pitcher Jeffrey Springs is on his way to Kansas City, and will be good to go to start Sunday's 2:10 p.m. ET game against the Royals. Springs has been very good since entering the starting rotation in early May. He's 3-2 with an impressive 2.65 ERA. He hasn't pitched since July 5 because of a calf injury.
- 2. AROZARENA, PAREDES SIT: Cash filled up his lineup with left-handers against Singer, and the heat played a factor, too. So Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes aren't starting, and newcomer Roman Quinn gets his first start in right field. “We went heavy left, but it was partly because of the weather here too. I think we’re getting a lefty tomorrow, so we’ll bounce right back and put all the righties back out there tomorrow. Four days off can get tricky. You don’t want to run a bunch of guys into the ground, especially when it’s 100 degrees out here.''
- 3. CLUTCH HITTING: The Rays are batting .284 (50-for-176) with runners in scoring position in July compared to just .248 through June.
- 4. ROMAN QUINN JOINS RAYS: The Rays won Friday night without the benefit of a home run. They've done that 16 times this year, the most in the majors.
