The Rays Are 1-6 in One-Run Games Right Now, And Their Ace's Last Two Outings Are Setting Off Alarms

Alright, you guys. We need to talk about what's going down in St. Petersburg. The Tampa Bay Rays, rocking the best home record in baseball at 26-11, just dropped another one to the Kansas City Royals on Monday, a tight 2-1 loss. That's four straight losses at home to these Royals, which is just bonkers! The Rays are on a serious slide overall, losing seven of their last ten games. Worse? They've gone a brutal 1-6 in one-run games during that stretch. It's a rough patch, and tonight, their ace, Shane McClanahan, is on the mound.

The Best Home Team is Being Bullied by One Squad

How does a team with MLB's best home record keep getting clobbered by the same opponent at home? The Royals are owning them in St. Petersburg, riding an 8-3 road record against Tampa Bay lately. Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen, who gave up two runs over six innings Monday, said "there's going to be ebbs and some flows." But four straight home losses to one team when you're 26-11 overall? That's more than an 'ebb.' Shane McClanahan is supposed to be the answer. He is *perfect* at home this season. The Rays have won all six of his starts there, rocking a 5-0 record with a ridiculous 2.05 ERA. His last three starts though? All losses, all on the road, where he's a completely different guy, sitting at 1-4 with a 4.38 ERA in eight starts. He only managed 7 2/3 total innings in his last two outings, including a season-low 3 2/3 against the Dodgers where he gave up five walks. Can he snap the team's home funk against the Royals?

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The Royals are Rolling, Despite a Huge Injury

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals aren't just stumbling into this series. They've won four of their last five games, bringing serious heat. Carter Jensen is on an absolute tear, extending his hitting streak to 13 games Monday with a run-scoring single; during that streak, he's batting .365 with 12 RBIs. That's clutch! They're doing this even with star teammate Bobby Witt Jr. missing his third straight game due to a Grade 1 MCL sprain, though Manager Matt Quatraro hopes Witt can return this series. Tonight's pitcher, Luinder Avila, mostly a reliever in April and May, is finding his groove as a starter. He got shelled for eight runs in two-thirds of an inning against Houston in a prior start, but bounced back huge against Washington, giving just one run over 5 2/3 innings. Pitching coach Brian Sweeney said Avila is "learning what it takes at the major league level as a starter." He's allowed no more than one run in three of his four June starts, so he's trending up. He's never faced the Rays, and he'll have his hands full with Yandy Diaz, who's got a .408 average and 23 RBIs during a 20-game home on-base streak. This is going to be a battle! So, Tuesday night is set up for a showdown. Can Shane McClanahan keep his home winning streak alive and finally break the Rays' losing skid against the Royals? Or will Kansas City's momentum, led by red-hot Carter Jensen and a developing Luinder Avila, continue to wreak havoc? The Rays need to turn things around in these close games, or this "ebb" could feel like a full-on collapse. Get ready for some serious baseball!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.