Royals sweep Rays with help from Dyson

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[July 10, 2015]  KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In the first game without All-Star left fielder Alex Gordon, the Kansas City Royals scored early and often, and Jarrod Dyson made a catch that even wowed Gordon.

Center fielder Lorenzo Cain and catcher Salvador Perez each hit two-run homers as the Royals subdued the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 on Thursday.

The Royals swept the four-game series. The Rays lost for the 11th time in 12 games and are 3-15 since June 21, when they were a season-high 10 games above .500.

Gordon is likely out until September with a left groin injury suffered during Wednesday night's game.

"We do have a confident team," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We feel like we can get through these types of things. Dyson makes the start in left field and probably makes the most incredible play we've seen all year."

The tone of the game was set early. The Royals scored five runs on Rays rookie right-hander Nathan Karns' first five pitches. Dyson's spectacular first-inning catch prevented the Rays from scoring first.

Rays left fielder John Jaso led off the game with a single, his seventh hit in his first nine at-bats since coming off the disabled list Tuesday. Right fielder Grady Sizemore, the next batter, ripped a pitch to deep left, but Dyson ran it down with an over-the-shoulder grab before face-planting into the wall.

Jaso was off with the pitch and became a double-play victim -- Dyson's second outfield assist in two games.

"That kind of sums up the way it's going right now," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "We square a ball up and Dyson makes just an incredible play on it and we get doubled up."

Cain's eighth home run of the season cleared the left-field fence with first baseman Eric Hosmer aboard in a three-run first inning.

Shortstop Alcides Escobar singled on Karns' first pitch and scored when Hosmer doubled on a 2-0 offering. Cain also parked Karns' first pitch.

"It happened really quick," Karns said. "I hung a curveball (to Cain) and he jumped all over it, got out to an early lead. He's an All-Star caliber player. Those are guys you just don't want to make too many mistakes around them. Unfortunately, he capitalized on it."

Karns has allowed 16 runs in the first inning in his 18 starts.

The Royals made it 4-0 in the third when right fielder Alex Rios singled and rookie third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert tripled to right past a diving Sizemore. Cuthbert added an RBI single in the eighth for the final Royals run.

After the Rays trimmed the Royals' lead to 4-3 in the fifth, Kansas City responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Perez homered with Cain, who was hit by a Karns pitch, aboard. Designated hitter Kendrys Morales upped his team-leading RBI total to 57 with a sacrifice fly that scored Hosmer.

Right-hander Yordano Ventura, who was making his first start since June 12 after a stint on the disabled list with an ulnar nerve inflammation, held the Rays scoreless with two singles in the first four innings.

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But in the Rays' three-run fifth, Ventura yielded two hits, two walks and two sacrifice flies. He walked catcher Rene Rivera with the bases loaded, scoring left fielder David DeJesus, who began the inning with a single. Jaso and Sizemore contributed sacrifice flies.

Ventura (4-6) was removed after five innings, allowing three runs, four hits, three walks and two sacrifice flies. He picked up his first victory since May 19.

"He started to get a little out whack a bit in the fourth inning," Yost said. "The fifth inning was, for lack of a better word, a character inning. It was like, 'OK, you have a four-run lead and you pitch yourself into trouble. Now let me see you pitch yourself out of it.' And he did.

"He gave up three, but he held the fort. Then we came right back and answered with three of our own. I thought it was a good first start back for him."

Gordon, a four-time Gold Glove winner, admired Dyson's first-inning webgem catch.

"It kind of scared me when it first happened," Gordon said. "When he hit the fence, I thought, 'Oh, no, here's another outfielder (hurt).' But that's what Dyson does. He brings a lot of excitement to the game. You guys saw it last night and today.

"I really feel like over the last few years he's been the best backup outfielder in the game. He could easily start for a lot of teams."

NOTES: Royals All-Star and Gold Glove LF Alex Gordon was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a Grade 2-Plus strained left groin. He is expected to be out for six weeks. The Royals optioned RHP Aaron Brooks to Triple-A Omaha and recalled LHP Brandon Finnegan. ... Royals LF John Jaso made his first Rays appearance in the outfield after being used as a DH and pinch hitter in his other four games. ... CF Lorenzo Cain was ejected after seven innings by plate umpire Chris Segal for arguing balls and strikes from the dugout. ... After a 1-6 trip, the Rays return home Friday with RHP Erasmo Ramirez starting against Astros RHP Collin McHugh. ... The Royals continue their 11-game homestand with a weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays, who will start RHP Marco Estrada on Friday. The Royals will counter with LHP Danny Duffy.

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