KANSAS CITY (AP) – Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero’s six-game home run streak ended as the Rays completed a three-game sweep over the Kansas City Royals with a 5-2 victory at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday, July 2, for their eighth straight win.
Where the game was won and lost
Tampa Bay scored three runs in the top of the second to post the largest frame of the day by either side. Rays second baseman Richie Palacios fisted a bloop single into left center field to give his club a 2-1 advantage. The Royals stayed behind for the remainder of the evening.
One batter prior, shortstop Taylor Walls doubled home a run on a deep line drive that bounced off the glove of former Ray Kameron Misner as he was retreating to the right field wall.
Immediately following the Palacios single, catcher Hunter Feduccia also ricocheted a ball off Misner, as he tripled home the third and final run of the frame.
Starting southpaw Ian Seymour delivered a quality start, striking out eight, walking one and earning the win for the Rays.
The Royals bookended the game’s scoring with their only runs of the contest – a solo home run by the team’s first batter of the night, catcher Carter Jensen, and a solo shot by left fielder Isaac Collins in the seventh.
Jensen was the lone Royal to collect multiple hits, as he has now hit safely in 21 of his last 22 games.
Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins drove in the only other two runs of the game with a fifth inning homer that gave Tampa Bay the biggest lead of the day for either side at four. Mullins has now homered in each of his last three games.
Royals righty Stephen Kolek took the loss, as he gave up three runs in just two innings of work. The start was Kolek’s first since June 21, as he has been away from the team with his daughter, Faye Kolek, being born seven weeks premature on June 25.
As a result, Royals manager Matt Quataro wanted to play it safe with Kolek by pulling him after his 42-pitch second inning.
Center fielder Lane Thomas’ double and first baseman Jac Caglianone’s single were the only other Kansas City hits in the affair. Bobby Witt Jr. stole second base in the second inning to claim his 29th swipe on the campaign – the second highest total in the MLB.
The breakdown
It’s difficult to find a lot of positives for a team that has dropped seven of its last eight games like the Royals have.
They lost a game 22-1 to a divisional rival last Friday, watched their five through nine spots in the batting order go a combined 1-for-17 yesterday, and have been outscored 65-18 in their last eight games. Not good.
However, there is a silver lining.
The Royals have now played three consecutive series against teams that are in first place of their respective divisions – two against the Rays and one against the Chicago White Sox. On top of that, Tampa Bay now has the third best winning percentage in baseball and the best winning percentage in the American League.
Furthermore, the Rays’ eight straight wins represent the longest active streak in the majors, and Caminero’s six-game long ball streak was the longest by a player as young as he is since 1900.
Needless to say, the Royals have been plagued with injuries lately and are currently without catcher Salvador Perez, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, outfielder Kyle Isbel, third baseman Maikel Garcia and righty relivers Carlos Estevez and Nick Mears among others. Unfortunate situations like Kolek’s absence have also halted the team’s progress.
Simply put, the Royals have caught the wrong teams at the wrong times.
Although Kansas City must host a talented Philadelphia Phillies squad to round out the homestand, weaker teams like the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies are all due up next. All these opponents currently feature a winning percentage of .500 or lower.
Plus, many of the injured players listed above are set to return by late July or sooner, including Perez, Pasquantino, Isbel, Estevez and Mears.
Keep in mind: the Royals are only 10 games back in the wild card race and 11 back in the American League Central division. Things could be a lot worse for the team currently in dead last in the AL.
If they can play well against beatable opponents and get healthy in time for the next gauntlet, they can compete.
The road ahead
After today’s day off, the Royals will wrap up their homestand with a three-game series against the Phillies that commences on Saturday, July 4.
Righty Michael Wacha of the Royals will face lefty Jesus Luzardo of the Phillies. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.
