Bobby Witt Jr. slugged a two-run homer, extending his career-best hitting streak to 22 games, and had three RBIs as the Kansas City Royals completed a three-game road sweep with an 8-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon.
In the Royals’ season-high 15-hit output, Maikel Garcia was 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and three stolen bases. Vinnie Pasquantino went 2-for-6 with a double and two RBIs. Freddie Fermin was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs as the Royals moved to 11-1 when posting at least four runs.
Starting pitcher Seth Lugo (3-3) allowed two runs on five hits in six innings. The right-hander fanned five without a walk.
Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz popped a solo homer, while Jonathan Aranda was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Chandler Simpson had two infield singles and a run as the Rays slipped to 9-13 at home.
Starter Shane Baz (3-1) struggled throughout and allowed seven runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out one and walked three.
After producing just one run in the series’ first two games, the Rays matched the total in the first inning as Diaz bashed his fourth homer just right of dead center off Lugo’s four-seam fastball.
Baz avoided a first-and-third, no-out situation in the third when the Rays challenged the safe call at third base on baserunner Drew Waters. The play was overturned, and the Royals were kept scoreless.
The visitors evened it in the fourth on Michael Massey’s sacrifice fly that scored Garcia, who had doubled and stolen third.
The Royals went ahead 3-1 in the fifth when Witt took Baz the other way, knocking a two-run homer to right field. Salvador Perez later doubled in a run.
In a second consecutive three-run frame in the sixth, Witt, who also walked twice, had an RBI hit-by-pitch before Pasquantino singled in two more for a 7-1 advantage. Aranda answered with an RBI single in the inning.
In the eighth, Garcia made it 8-2 when he singled in leadoff hitter Jonathan India, who scored twice on two walks and a single.
–Field Level Media
