Royals at Rays TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays, 11 games above .500, play host to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night at George Steinbrenner Field in a matchup of American League teams headed in opposite directions. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. under clear skies. The forecast calls for 91 degrees. The Rays (43-31) will start left-hander Shane McClanahan (6-4, 3.12 ERA), who has won three of his past four decisions. McClanahan is seeking his seventh victory of the season after allowing three earned runs over six innings in a no-decision against Washington on June 21. Kansas City (32-46) counters with right-hander Luinder Avila (2-3, 4.67 ERA), who is looking to build on a solid outing in his last start. The Royals opened the three-game series with a 2-1 victory Monday, snapping a four-game losing streak that included a 12-10 loss to St. Louis on Sunday. First baseman Jac Caglianone has been the catalyst for Kansas City’s offense. Over his past four games, Caglianone is 6 for 15 with three home runs and seven RBIs, including a two-homer performance Sunday. For Tampa Bay, right-hander Nick Martinez has been a reliable arm out of the bullpen. In his most recent outing June 21 against Washington, he pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs with five strikeouts. Over his past four appearances, Martinez has a 3.18 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings. Tuesday’s game marks the second of four consecutive meetings between the clubs at Steinbrenner Field. The teams will play again Wednesday and Thursday before the Rays travel to Kansas City for a three-game set beginning June 30. The Interstat game simulator projects a 5-4 Rays victory. Tampa Bay is a minus-1.5 favorite, with the over/under set at 8 runs.