Tampa Bay’s Jose Siri drove in four runs, starting pitcher Zach Eflin remained spotless at home, and the Rays rebounded from their series-opening loss to Kansas City, thrashing the Royals 11-3 on Friday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.
In a 3-for-4 showing with two runs, Siri clubbed his 13th homer — a three-run shot — and also singled home a run.
Eflin (9-3) improved to 8-0 with a 2.17 ERA through eight home starts this year.
He did it by limiting the Royals to three runs and seven hits over six innings, striking out seven and walking two.
Tampa Bay’s Josh Lowe went 3-for-5 with a run. Taylor Walls was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while Christian Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI. Manuel Margot and Harold Ramirez (two RBIs) had two hits apiece.
The Rays were 7-for-12 with runners in scoring position and tied a season high with 17 hits.
They are 33-9 at home and 13-2 against American League Central opposition.
Kansas City’s Salvador Perez swatted a two-run homer and Nick Pratto hit a solo shot. Bobby Witt Jr. and Drew Waters each had two hits.
Zack Greinke (1-8) dropped his fourth decision since last winning on May 3. He allowed seven runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings, with one walk and three strikeouts.
After rallying for a 6-5 win Thursday, Kansas City was right back at it to start the second matchup in an early battle of long balls.
On the game’s second pitch, Pratto lined a cutter from Eflin out to right for his fifth homer.
However, Siri outdid that effort in the second with a deep blast to put the Rays up 3-1 after Isaac Paredes and Bethancourt singled in front of him.
In the third, the Royals added their second homer. Witt drew a two-out walk from Eflin, and Perez made the right-hander pay for it with his 15th deep shot to straightaway center.
After Siri drove in his fourth run of the night with a single in the fourth, Ramirez finished Greinke’s night with a two-out single in the fifth.
–Field Level Media
