After splitting a series with the Orioles, the Tampa Bay Rays welcome the Kansas City Royals into the Trop, on Thursday, when they start a four-game series. The Royals most recently dropped two of three to the Tigers.

At 52-25 on the season, the Rays enter play 27 games over .500, and five games up on the second-place Orioles in the division.

The Rays got off to the fastest start in franchise history and the quality play hasn’t yet stopped. Tampa Bay still has the best record in baseball heading into this series against the worst team in the game. They hit a rough patch lately, losing five of nine games and three straight heading into Wednesday’s contest against the Orioles. Yet, the Rays got off the schneid thanks to a 7-2 win in the series finale thanks, in part, to solo shots by Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes.

In spite of their sluggish play over the last couple of weeks, the Rays’ offense has been pretty good — especially over the last week — slashing an improved .261 BA/.342 OBP/.399 SLG/.741 OPS, with a 114 wRC+. Is that beneath their overall slash line? Yes. Is their 27.3% strikeout rate also concerning? Yes. However, Tampa Bay is incrementally improving and getting back to where it had been.

The Royals are in last place in the AL Central Division and enter play with the worst record in baseball. The Royals have lost 12 of their last 14 games heading into Wednesday afternoon’s series finale, with the Tigers in Detroit, which they also dropped, 9-4.

The Rays enter play boasting an overall 3.53 ERA and 4.00 FIP (3.19 ERA and 3.54 FIP for the starters, 3.93 ERA, and 4.54 FIP for the relievers). Over the last week, Tampa Bay maintains a 3.29 ERA and 3.76 FIP (4.22 ERA and 3.68 FIP for the starters, 1.80 ERA and 3.88 FIP for the relievers) which is a significant improvement for the maligned bullpen, but a regression for the starting rotation. Pitching continues to be a problem for the Royals, who maintain an overall 5.17 ERA and 4.54 FIP (5.43 ERA and 4.82 FIP for the starters, 4.82 ERA and 4.17 FIP for the relievers). Those numbers are pretty parred for the course over the last week, with Kansas Cities hurlers putting up a combined 4.85 ERA and a 5.56 FIP (5.09 ERA and a 5.29 FIP for the starters, and 4.32 ERA and a 6.16 FIP for the relievers).

The Rays went 4-3 against the Royals last season, including 3-1 at the Trop.

Pitching Probables

Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will turn to Shane McClanahan (11-1, 2.12 ERA, 3.67 FIP), Zach Eflin (8-3, 3.26 ERA, 3.17 FIP), Yonny Chirinos (3-2, 2.72 ERA, 4.44 FIP) in some capacity, and Tyler Glasnow (2-1, 4.97 ERA, 4.78 FIP). Friend of the Rays, Matt Quatraro, will counter with Jose Cuas (3-0, 4.15 ERA, 4.33 FIP), Zack Greinke (1-7, 4.81 ERA, 4.61 FIP), Jordan Lyles (0-11, 6.72 ERA, 5.61 FIP), and Daniel Lynch (1-3, 4.45 ERA, 4.96 FIP).

Shane McClanahan allowed one run on three hits and three walks over 6.2 innings Friday, striking out five on 94 pitches (57 strikes, 61% strike rate). McClanahan rolled through six shutout frames before serving up a solo homer to Nelson Cruz in the seventh inning. With his third consecutive win, McClanahan has racked up a league-high 11 wins in just 15 starts. However, during that win streak, he’s registered a lackluster 2.5 K/BB through 19.2 innings. For the season, maintains a terrific 2.12 ERA and a 3.67 FIP, with a 2.94 K/BB through 89.1 frames.

Jose Cuas, who will serve as the opener on Thursday, allowed two hits and a walk while striking out two over 1.1 innings. Cuas entered the contest with runners on the corners and two outs and proceeded to allow an inherited runner to score before ending the frame. Cuas loaded the bases himself in the sixth inning, but he worked out of the jam with no additional damage done. He’s avoided being charged with a run in seven of his last eight outings. For the season, Cuas has a 4.15 ERA and a 4.33 FIP, with a 1.48 WHIP, and a 3.5 K/BB over 21.2 innings. He relies primarily on a 93 mph sinker and an 82 mph slider, while also mixing in a 92 mph fourseam fastball. Key Matchup: Harold Ramírez (1-1, RBI)

Zach Eflin allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five over six innings on Saturday against the Padres. Eflin pitched well enough to earn a quality start, but Blake Snell gave up even less in the pitchers’ duel. This was Eflin’s seventh quality start of the season, and he has yet to give up more than four runs in any outing, providing stability for the Rays’ rotation. He has a 3.26 ERA and a 3.17 FIP, with a 1.00 WHIP, and 5.92 K/BB over 77.1 innings through 13 starts on the season.

Zack Greinke allowed four runs on eight hits and one walk over five innings against the Angels. He struck out four. Greinke fell victim to Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, serving up back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning. Though Greinke owns a 4.81 ERA and a 4.61 FIP through 15 starts (76.2 innings), with a 1.17 WHIP, and a 1.6 HR/9. He has issued just 10 free passes through on the season — the fourth fewest of any starter with at least eight starts. Greinke relies primarily on a 90 mph fourseam fastball, while also mixing in an 80 mph slider that sweeps across the zone, a 90 mph sinker, a 73 mph curveball that has a sharp downward bite, a firm 87 mph changeup that has some natural sink to it, and an 86 mph cutter that has sweeping cut action. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (2-5, HR, 2 RBI), Christian Bethancourt (3-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB), Yandy Díaz (1-4), Manuel Margot (8-21, 2 HR, 2 RBI, BB), Harold Ramírez (4-9, 2B, RBI), José Siri (1-2, 2B)

Yonny Chirinos allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 4.2 innings on Sunday in San Diego. Chirinos made his third start of the season but wasn’t able to replicate his success from his previous turn. The right-hander didn’t get help from his defense, and he needed 90 pitches (52 strikes, 58% strike rate) to get 14 outs. He’s now at a 2.72 ERA and a 4.44 FIP, with a 1.02 WHIP, and a 1.43 K/BB through 43 innings (10 appearances).

Jordan Lyles allowed three runs on six hits and one walk over six innings against the Tigers on Monday. He struck out three. Lyles notched his second quality start of the season and his first since April 17. The right-hander hasn’t been sharp in 2023, boasting a 6.72 ERA and a 5.61 FIP, although he has been able to eat up innings, completing at least five frames in 13 of his 15 turns (85.2 innings total). Lyles relies primarily on a 91 mph fourseam fastball and an 80 mph slider that sweeps across the zone, while also mixing in a 79 mph 12-6 knuckle curveball, a 91 mph swing-and-miss sinker, a firm 86 mph changeup, and an 87 mph cutter that has some natural sink and has strong cutting action. Key Matchups: Randy Arozarena (3-10, 2 HR, 5 RBI), Christian Bethancourt (1-2), Josh Lowe (4-8, 2B, 3B, RBI), Francisco Mejía (4-7, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), José Siri (1-3), Tayor Walls (2-5, 2B, 3 BB)

Tyler Glasnow allowed six runs on six hits and two walks over 4.1 innings against the Orioles on Tuesday. He struck out seven on 85 pitches (57 strikes, 67% strike rate). Glasnow surrendered a three-run homer to Aaron Hicks in the first inning before Anthony Santander piled on with a two-run shot in the second. Glasnow eventually settled down, retiring eight of the final nine batters he faced, although the Rays couldn’t climb out of the early hole. In five starts (25.1 innings) since his return from an oblique injury, Glasnow has a 4.97 ERA and a 4.78 FIP, with a 1.38 WHIP, and a 2.54 K/BB.

Daniel Lynch allowed one hit and two walks over seven scoreless innings against the Tigers. He struck out two. Lynch was great in a bounce-back performance that came in the wake of the southpaw surrendering seven runs and four homers to Cincinnati in his previous start. Lynch lowered his ERA to 4.45 with a 4.96 FIP, a 1.19 WHIP, and 2.44 K/BB across five starts (30.1 innings) this season. He relies primarily on a 93 mph fourseam fastball that has some natural sinking action and a whiffy 84 mph changeup with cutting action, while also mixing in an 88 mph cutter that has some natural sink and has strong cutting action, and an 82 mph slider that has short glove-side cut. Key Matchup: Harold Ramírez (2-4, 2B)