Rays vs Royals Recap: Rays Top Royals 5-2

The Rays rolled into Kansas City riding a seven-game winning streak. They had just demolished the Royals 4-0 the night before, and their bats were hot. But the Royals refused to go quietly. Carter Jensen stepped up to face Rays pitcher Ian Seymour in the bottom of the first inning. Seymour fired a 92-mile-per-hour fastball right down the middle. Jensen connected hard. The ball climbed high into the Kansas City sky and sailed 449 feet over center field. The home crowd erupted. The Royals had struck first, leading 1-0. Tampa Bay's offense needed to answer back fast.

The Rays wasted no time striking back in the top of the second inning. Pitcher Stephen Kolek was struggling to find the zone. Taylor Walls smacked a double down the right field line. Simpson raced home. Two pitches later, Richie Palacios singled to left field, and Walls crossed the plate. Then Hunter Feduccia crushed a triple into right field, and Palacios sprinted home. Just like that, Tampa Bay led 3-1. Kansas City looked shaky on the mound. But the Rays weren't done. In the fifth inning, Cedric Mullins stepped into the batter's box. He faced Randy Dobnak and launched a 91-mile-per-hour sinker into right field. The ball cleared the wall 385 feet away. Simpson scored too. Tampa Bay led 5-1. The Rays were in complete control now.

The Royals fought back in the seventh inning when Isaac Collins crushed a 428-foot blast to center field off Cam Booser. The Royals trailed 5-2 now. They had momentum late. But Tampa Bay's pitching locked down tight. Garrett Cleavinger threw a scoreless eighth inning. Bryan Baker took over in the ninth and slammed the door shut with a strikeout. The Rays' relief pitchers were sharp when it mattered most. Final score: Rays 5, Royals 2. Tampa Bay improved to 50-33 with their eighth win in ten games. Kansas City fell to 35-52 and dropped their third straight game. The Rays' pitching depth shined through. Ian Seymour was terrific, striking out eight batters over six innings. The Rays' road trip was working perfectly. They were dominating Kansas City's lineup all series long.