Giants at Royals KANSAS CITY (Interstat) — The San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals, two teams mired in the lower tier of their respective leagues, open a two-game series Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Central under clear skies and a temperature of 92 degrees. The Giants (42-57) send right-hander Tyler Mahle to the mound. Mahle is 2-8 with a 5.12 ERA this season. He has struggled to find consistency, and the Giants have lost eight of his last 10 starts. The Royals (40-60) counter with right-hander Luinder Avila, who is 4-3 and has been a bright spot in a difficult season for Kansas City. Avila has posted a 3.68 ERA and has held opponents to a .241 batting average. Players to Watch For San Francisco, left-hander Robbie Ray has been effective out of the bullpen and as a spot starter. Over his last five appearances, Ray has a 2.65 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 31 innings. On July 19 at Seattle, he allowed one earned run over four innings in a 6-3 loss. For Kansas City, rookie right fielder Jac Caglianone is showing power. He homered July 19 against San Diego, a 19-2 loss, and has five extra-base hits in his last 10 games. He is batting .278 over that stretch. Recent Form The Giants dropped the final two games of a three-game series at Seattle over the weekend, including a 6-3 loss Sunday. Designated hitter Bryce Eldridge homered and drove in a run in that game. The Royals were routed 19-2 by San Diego on Sunday, the second-worst loss of the season for Kansas City. The teams played a scoreless game Monday, the series opener, which was halted after one inning due to rain and will not be resumed. Projection Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-4 victory for San Francisco. The Giants are a -1.5 run favorite on the run line, and the over/under is set at 9 runs. The Giants open a six-game homestand Friday against the Los Angeles Angels. The Royals begin a four-game series at Detroit on Thursday.