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 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.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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