The Tampa Bay Rays have been struggling on the road recently. While they are still battling atop the American League East with the Boston Red Sox, the Rays had lost seven straight road games after their Thursday loss to the Royals.
Their struggles seem more road-specific. They just collected four wins from their six-game homstand .
The Kansas City Royals are the American League's loveable loser – or maybe just loser – and are again projected to be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. Anyone from starters like Gil Meche to core hitters like David DeJesus have been bandied about as the Royals only have last place to contend for – again. 
For the Rays, their bats have gone missing. In their previous eight road games before the All-Star break, they averaged two runs per game – exactly the total they produced in their series-opening loss in Kansas City on Thursday.
Saturday's pitching matchup will pit Scott Kazmir versus Luke Hochevar .
The Rays are 10-4 in Kazmir's last 14 starts as he leads the team in ERA (2.80). But Kazmir has been far more effective at home than on the road. The Rays are only 1-3 in his last three road starts.
At home, Kazmir is 5-1 with an ERA of 1.68. He's been nearly untouchable as teams have batted .168 in his against him in his eight home starts.
On the road, Kazmir is 3-4 with an ERA of 4.10 . That sparkling opposing hitters batting average jumps to .255 when he is away. His WHIP also jumps from 1.06 to 1.26 when he is on the road.
He'll pitch against Hochevar, the first overall pick in the 2006 draft. Hochevar has pitched like anything but a prospect who is on the rise.
He is 6-8 with a gawdy 5.47 ERA with only 60 strikeouts in 100.1 innings pitched. He's regularly batted around, such as his eight-hit, seven-earned run performance on Monday. That was the third time this month that he's given up at least six earned runs in a start and he's only started four times in July.
He has pitched a little better at home, though. He is 4-3 at home with a 4.41 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. The Royals are 4-4 in his eight home starts this year.
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