After a six-game road trip through Arizona and San Diego that saw the Rays go 5-1, Tampa Bay returned home Tuesday night for a matchup with the Kansas City Royals.
The Rays were trying to extend their longest win streak since May 7, 2024. Sitting at 14-14, the Rays had a chance to get above .500 for the first time since the first week of the season.
However, the Royals snapped the Rays’ five-game win streak with a 3-1 win in what was another sellout on an 85-degree night at Steinbrenner Field.
The Royals got on the board first as Jonathan India singled, and then a double by Salvador Perez scored India to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.
The Rays threatened in the bottom of the first, but Jonathan Aranda grounded out to first, leaving Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero on base to end the inning. It seems the Rays have had trouble all season hitting with runners on base and in scoring position. But the Rays lead the Majors in hitting with runners in scoring position hitting a healthy .276.
It would stay 2-0 until the bottom of the fourth inning when Caminero hit a solo home run, his sixth of the year, to cut the Royals’ lead in half at 2-1.
Taj Bradley worked seven innings for the Rays, giving up two runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out two while throwing 101 pitches.
The Rays had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Jonathan Aranda struck out, and Christopher Morel grounded out to third, ending the inning for the Rays. Once again, the Rays left two runners on base. This was the second time in the game that the Rays had two runners in scoring position and couldn’t score any runs.
In the ninth, a Freddy Fermin single drove in Maikel Garcia, putting the Royals up 3-1. The Rays went quietly in the ninth to drop the first game of this three-game home-stand to the Royals.
Kevin Cash spoke postgame about the Rays never being able to get anything going offensively Tuesday night. “We could never get anything going and momentum was just kind of in their favor,” he said.
Cash also talked about the strong outing from Bradley as he seemed to get stronger as the game went along. “I thought even in his last two starts, the best innings have probably come in the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings. Just took him a little bit to get going. He did a nice job. Another impressive outing.”
The Rays and Royals will pay again on Wednesday night in game two of the series. Drew Rasmussen will pitch for the Rays with first pitch at 7:05 p.m.