The Sports Xchange
Aug 28, 2017
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Austin Pruitt and Matt Andriese combined on a two-hitter as the Tampa Bay Rays blasted the skidding Kansas City Royals 12-0 on Monday night.
Pruitt (7-4) gave up a double in the fourth inning to Lorenzo Cain for the only hit he allowed in six innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Matt Andriese replaced him and allowed one hit over the final three innings -- a Cain double with two out in the ninth. He recorded his first save of the season.
The Rays won for the first time in Kansas City since April 8, 2014, snapping an eight-game losing streak at Kauffman Stadium.
Kansas City's scoreless streak reached 43 innings. The Royals have been outscored 35-0 since Brandon Moss homered in the second inning Thursday against Colorado for the last Kansas City run.
Logan Morrison drove in four Rays runs Monday. He hit a three-run homer in the ninth, his 32nd, and had an RBI double in a six-run third.
The Royals have hit .160 in their five-game losing streak. They have lost back-to-back games by 12-0 scores.
The Rays batted around in the third inning and chased Ian Kennedy (4-10). Adeiny Hechavarria led off the inning with a double. Kevin Kiermaier tried to bunt him over but fouled off two attempts before Kennedy walked him.
Kennedy fell behind in the count 2-0 to Lucas Duda, who drove the next pitch over the right field fence, an estimated 393 feet, for a three-run homer. It was Duda's 25th home run and his eighth with Tampa Bay. His past four hits have been homers.
Evan Longoria and Morrison hit back-to-back doubles to make it 5-0. Morrison just missed a home run, but after a crew-chief review, it was ruled that the ball hit high off the wall for a double. Kennedy retired the next two hitters before serving up a fat pitch to Wilson Ramos, who hammered it 436-feet to left-center with Morrison aboard, making it 7-0.
That ended Kennedy's night. He allowed seven runs on six hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. He has not won in a club-record 17 consecutive home starts.
Kiermaier led off the game with a double to shallow center that Cain made a diving attempt to catch. Kiermaier went to third on Duda's fly out to right field just in front of the Rays' bullpen fence. Longoria's sacrifice fly to Cain scored Kiermaier.
The Rays added a run in the fourth, which Hechavarria led off with a triple off Brian Flynn and scored on Kiermaier's ground ball single up the middle.
Flynn, who was just called up, left with an injury after finishing his warmup pitches in the top of the sixth. He was replaced by rookie left-hander Scott Alexander.
NOTES: The Rays reinstated RHP Matt Andriese from the 60-day disabled list. His last big league appearance was June 10, as he had been out with a right hip stress reaction. The Rays sent RHP Chih-Wei Hu to Triple-A Durham, and they designated INF Taylor Featherston for assignment. ... LHP Eric Skoglund, who was charged with seven runs in 1 1/3 innings in the Royals' loss Sunday at Cleveland, was demoted to Triple-A Omaha. Kansas City called up LHP Brian Flynn from its Pacific Coast League affiliate. ... Royals 3B Mike Moustakas played in the field for the first time in five games because of knee bruise. He missed two games and was the DH in the other two. ... Rays RHP Alex Cobb and Royals RHP Jake Junis are the Tuesday probables.