Tampa Bay @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 7, Kansas City 9

The Kansas City Royals are riding high with the best record in the American League and a possible seven All-Stars, but not everything is going their way. The Royals hope to have some good news about All-Star left fielder Alex Gordon when they go for a four-game sweep of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday.

Gordon was carted off the field in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s 9-7 win – the fourth straight for Kansas City – and diagnosed with a left groin strain. Gordon, who is batting .279 with a .394 on-base percentage and was 7-of-10 with six RBIs in the series against the Rays, went down while chasing a line drive and was expected to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. The Rays are losers of 10 of their last 11 games and watched the pitching staff surrender 25 runs in the first three games of the series. Tampa Bay will turn to right-hander Nathan Karns to change the recent fortunes of its staff while the Royals will counter with Yordano Ventura.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Nathan Karns (4-4, 3.21 ERA) vs. Royals RH Yordano Ventura (3-6, 4.68)

Karns posted one win in his last five starts despite allowing two runs or fewer in each. The 27-year-old struck out a career-high 10 and yielded two runs on five hits in seven innings at New York on Friday but was held out of the decision in a game Tampa Bay went on to lose 3-2. Karns, making his first career start against the Royals, is 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in six road starts this season.

Ventura is making his return after a layoff of nearly a month due to a hand injury. The 24-year-old Dominican worked three innings in each of his final two starts before hitting the disabled list and has not won since May 19. Ventura did not earn a decision in either of his two career starts against the Rays while surrendering a total of four runs and seven hits in 11 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals SS Alcides Escobar is 8-for-13 with five runs in the first three games of the series.

2. Tampa Bay DH John Jaso (left wrist) is 6-for-8 in three games following a three-month layoff.

3. Kansas City OF Jarrod Dyson came in for Gordon on Wednesday and hit an inside-the-park homer.

PREDICTION: Royals 3, Rays 1