Tampa Bay @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 30, 2010 ) Tampa Bay 2, Kansas City 3

The heat will be on the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend.

Tampa Bay and New York are tied for first in the American League East with three games left in the regular season. The Rays, who dropped a 3-2 decision to Kansas City on Thursday night, continue their four-game series with the Royals tonight. The Yankees open a three-game series at Fenway Park against Boston.

The Rays would win the tiebreaker after taking the season series from the Yankees, 10-8. Minnesota, the AL Central champ, is a game behind Tampa Bay and New York with a 93-66 record.

Tampa Bay has lost four of five, including three of four to Baltimore and Kansas City, which are in last place in their respective divisions.

The Rays are waiting for the return of third baseman Evan Longoria, who hasn't played since Sept. 23 because of a strained left quad. He's expected to play at some point during this series. Rays manager Joe Maddon doesn't want to push one of his stars back too quickly, but also wants Longoria gets some at-bats before the playoffs begin next week.

James Shields has provided a mixed bag of results for the Rays. He's reached double figures in wins for the fourth straight season and has struck out a career-high 186, but some of his numbers aren't encouraging with the postseason right around the corner.

Shields hasn't won since Aug. 29 and is 0-3 in his last five starts. The right-hander has allowed 34 home runs and has given up 234 hits in 198 1 /3 innings.

The Royals have won three of four this week against two playoffs teams. Kansas City took two of three from the Twins before downing the Rays on Thursday. The Royals are trying to avoid finishing last in the Central, but trail fourth-place Cleveland by two games.

No one thought Bruce Chen would lead Kansas City pitchers in wins, but that's how the season will end. The left-hander will go for win No. 12 in his final start of the season.

He should have picked up that win Sunday against the Indians. He threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings and left the Royals with a 3-0 lead in the eighth, but Robinson Tejada wasted Chen's excellent outing by allowing five runs in the inning.

Chen has been the Royals' most reliable starter. He's lost only twice in two months and is 6-2 in his last 11 starts.