The Tampa Bay Rays completed its first four-game series this season with an even split with a dominant 13-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on June 25 at Tropicana Field.
Despite the Rays batting order hitting double-digit runs for the third time this season, the combined pitching of opener Casey Legumina, bulk reliever Ian Seymour, and closer Craig Kimbrel stole the show. The trio combined for the team’s first one-hitter since 2015.
Seymour pitched a season-high 6.2 innings with seven strikeouts in his first career stint against the Royals. Kimbrel was just two outs away in the ninth inning from the first combined no-hitter in team history before allowing a home-run to Royals catcher Carter Jensen.
“[Seymour] got into the strike zone and never left it,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said post-game. “Every time the count swayed in the Royals favor, it seemed like he was able to pump two strikes right back.”
Third baseman Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer to get Tampa Bay on the board in the first. The 372-foot shot was the start of Caminero’s first-career game with three home runs.
“[Caminero] is swinging the bat really well,” Cash said. “Early on, [Royals pitcher Seth Lugo] is a tough pitcher, he has pitched very tough in the past, and for us to get a two-run lead early was huge.”
Neither lineup recorded another base hit until Rays centerfielder Cedric Mullins’ single in the fourth. Mullins stole second during shortstop Taylor Walls’ ensuing at-bat. Walls walked to first just a pitch later.
Outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. sent both of them home with his third career home-run in Tampa Bay to extend the Rays lead to five.
That lead grew the following frame, when Caminero’s second home run of the day and 18th of the season put him atop the home-run leaders among third baseman this season.
Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson increased his .290 season batting average against breaking balls later that inning, sending a curveball to right field for an RBI double. Simpson’s 16th RBI this year sent second baseman Richie Palacios home, who put himself in scoring position one at-bat earlier with a bunt and forced balk to second.
Tampa Bay scored its eighth run in the seventh following consecutive doubles from designated hitter Yandy Diaz and first baseman Jonathan Aranda. Diaz’s double extended his home on-base streak to 23 games, good for the current longest streak in the majors.
The last five Rays runs were scored against second baseman Tyler Tolbert, who took the mound for the Royals final defensive stand. Mullins and Walls reached home again before Caminero’s third homer scored Fortes and Aranda soon after.
Now two and a half games behind the New York Yankees for the American League East division lead, the Rays will continue its season-long 10-game homestand against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 26 at 7:10 EST.