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 Perez was wrong, and happily so.
The catcher's three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning gave
the Kansas City Royals a 5-4, comeback win and handed the Tampa Bay
Rays a demoralizing loss Wednesday at Tropicana Field.
Perez, who will start for the American League in next week's
All-Star Game, popped out with the bases loaded and the Royals
trailing 4-2 in the seventh. Two innings later, he hit an arcing
shot against Yates (0-1) that just cleared the half-wall down the
left field line.
"From home plate, it looked like it might go foul," said Perez, who
went 2-for-5. "That's why I stood at home plate, to see where the
ball (would go)." Yates, a Triple-A closer before he was called up June 7, was thrust
into an unusual position because of an overextended bullpen and Joel
Peralta allowing two baserunners to foster the rally. Still, Yates
called the situation "very doable," one that could have been
resolved with one ground ball. Instead, he left a pitch up and over
the plate and was left hoping Perez jumped on it too hard.
"I knew he hit it pretty good," Yates said. "I was just hoping for
it to hook foul. It's a game we should have won, needed to win. It
doesn't feel good."
Kansas City (47-43) got a leadoff single from center fielder Jarrod
Dyson against Peralta and a walk by first baseman Eric Hosmer with
one out before Yates entered to face Perez. The homer was Perez's
11th.
"This one is bad," Peralta said. "This one hurts."
Aaron Crow (4-1) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, pitching
a scoreless inning to earn the victory. Greg Holland threw a perfect
ninth for his 24th save.
Kansas City claimed two wins in the three-game series and finished
its road trip with a 5-4 mark.
"This was a huge win for us tonight," Royals manager Ned Yost said.
"Definitely nice to have a little momentum going home for the last
four games before the All-Star break. That's a lot better than the
alternative."
The rally ruined a historic storyline for the Rays (42-52). Rookie
right fielder Kevin Kiermaier hit a fourth-inning grand slam and
went 4-for-4, collecting half of team's hits from the ninth spot in
the batting order. He is the first rookie since reliable records
became available in 1914 to collect four hits and a grand slam from
that spot in the lineup.
Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura allowed four runs on five hits
and four walks with five strikeouts in five innings.
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Rays starter Alex Cobb gave up two runs on six hits with two
walks and seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Right-hander Grant
Balfour replaced Cobb in the seventh after right fielder Lorenzo
Cain's single put two runners aboard. Balfour walked the first
batter he faced but retired Perez on one pitch to end the threat.
Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Hosmer's fifth
home run of the season. The first baseman hit the first pitch he saw
after Cobb struck out the first two batters of the game. It was the
first time Hosmer faced Cobb since hitting the pitcher in the head
with a line drive at Tropicana Field on June 15, 2013.
The Royals nearly squandered a bases-loaded, no-out start to the
fourth inning but scored one run on an RBI groundout from left
fielder Raul Ibanez to take a 2-0 lead. Perez, second baseman Omar
Infante and designated hitter Billy Butler began the inning with
singles off Cobb.
Tampa Bay didn't blow its bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom of
the fourth. Kiermaier hit his first big-league grand slam for a 4-2
lead.
Ventura nearly worked out of the jam when he retired two straight
batters after third baseman Evan Longoria and first baseman James
Loney hit singles. However, Ventura walked light-hitting catcher
Jose Molina -- who was 4-for-42 with runners in scoring position --
despite jumping ahead in the count, before Kiermaier turned on a 1-2
pitch for his eighth homer of the season.
NOTES: Kansas City RHP Jason Vargas was to undergo an appendectomy
in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, and he will not return to Kansas
City until Friday at the earliest. He could miss three to four
weeks. ... Royals OF Alex Gordon was scratched because he was unable
to swing due to a sprained right wrist. He is scheduled for an MRI
exam Thursday. ... Rays SS Yunel Escobar (shoulder) is a combined
1-for-7 through two rehab games for Class A Charlotte.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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