The Rays have been in tailspin over the last week, falling down into the shared-mix of the American League East, and now face an incredibly difficult stretch heading into the All-Star Break.
Foremost to be celebrated next week will be the Royals, who we will get an early exposure for in the coming four games. The Rays always have difficulty in Kansas City, for whatever reason, so it's not a match up to which I'm looking forward.
Ahead of the series, I exchanged questions with Royals Review's Max Rieper. You can find his responses below.