Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 7/2/26, 12:02 PM  by Travis Pulver | Modified on 7/2/26 at 12:06 PM in MLB Picks

The Tampa Bay Rays (50-33, 19-21 Away) will go for the series sweep today when they face off in the third game of a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Gametime for this AL East vs. AL Central matchup is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. EST with coverage provided by MLB.TV.

Kansas City hasn’t put up much of a fight in the series so far, losing 10-4 on Tuesday and 4-0 yesterday. Of course, it helps to have a player in the lineup on a home run streak. With a dinger in last night’s game, Junior Caminero has hit a home run in six straight games.

Tampa Bay appears to be going with a bullpen day, with reliever Ian Seymour taking the mound to start the day. To be fair, he has started three games this season but has appeared in 30, earning a 4.32 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. However, he has had some serious issues on the road, where he has a 7.41 ERA in 13 appearances (17 innings).

Stephen Kolek is expected to be back from a family emergency tonight to start the game. Kolek is 4-2 in nine starts (one complete game) with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. He has been solid at home, where he is 3-1 in five starts with a 4.03 ERA and a .255 OBA.