Royals 3, Rays 1: Gee, It’s Great to Be Back Home...

Normally it’s exciting to come home after a successful road trip, but the unfriendly confines of George M. Steinbrenner Field are not as welcoming for the Rays. The Rays moved to 9-11 at home this season and dropped the series opener 3-1 against the Royals on Tuesday night.

The Rays managed eight hits but only plated one run, that one coming on a Junior Caminero solo shot to center field, his sixth homer of the season.

Yandy Diaz looks to be rounding into form, going 2-for-3 and drawing a walk. He has recorded hits in four of his last five games, three of those being multi-hit performances.

Chandler Simpson’s eight-game hitting streak to start his big league career came to an end with an 0-for-5 night, although he narrowly missed out on a few hits that either went just foul, or became a fielders choice after a force out at another base.

Taj Bradley did not look sharp, lacking the command that powered his mini-breakout in 2024. The fastball still plays, but he can’t get the splitter down in the zone, and he doesn’t have the confidence in his below-average curveball to throw it more. If Bradley is going to get anywhere close to where he was in the first half last year, he needs to be able to lean on other pitches.

I don’t need to see any more of Curtis Mead. Do I think he’s a player that could find some success if given consistent playing time? Yes, but that should not happen here. Give me any lefty on this roster against a left-handed reliever over Mead as a pinch hitter. Not only did he strike out easily, he pulled up on a dropped third strike when he could have reached as the tying run in the eight inning.

It’s a short home stand, with just two more games against the Royals before the Rays head to the Bronx. Luckily, Drew Rasmussen and Shane Baz are due to start the final two games of the series.