Jansen Powers Rays Past Royals, Bradley Dominates on the Mound
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Danny Jansen drove in three runs, including a two-run homer, while Taj Bradley turned in a dominant outing on the mound as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-1 Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Bradley (5-5) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, ultimately throwing 6 2/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball. He walked one and struck out six, continuing his impressive form as the Rays won their third straight game and eighth out of their last 10. Tampa Bay remains in second place in the AL East, trailing only the New York Yankees.
Jansen provided early offense with a two-run blast in the second inning, driving in José Caballero who had reached base on a two-out single. He added a third RBI in the fourth with a sacrifice fly, scoring Jonathan Aranda to make it 3-0.
The Rays capitalized on Kansas City mistakes throughout the night. In the fifth, Yandy Díaz and Curtis Mead hit back-to-back singles, and Díaz came home when Aranda reached on a throwing error by Royals starter Kris Bubic (6-5). Tampa Bay added another run in the seventh when Junior Caminero doubled and later scored on Jake Mangum’s groundout.
The Royals managed to avoid a shutout in the ninth when Maikel Garcia doubled with two outs and came around to score on a single from Vinnie Pasquantino.
Turning Point
Bradley kept Kansas City off balance through five perfect innings. He finally allowed a baserunner in the sixth when John Rave drew a walk, followed by a ground-rule double by Jonathan India to end the no-hit bid. But Bradley stayed composed, retiring Bobby Witt Jr. on a lineout to escape the jam and preserve the Rays' lead.
Notable Stat
The Royals’ home struggles continued. After starting the season with a strong 16-5 record at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City has now dropped eight straight at home and 12 of their last 15.
Looking Ahead
The series resumes Wednesday with Tampa Bay sending Drew Rasmussen (6-5, 2.61 ERA) to the mound to face Royals right-hander Michael Wacha (4-6, 3.24 ERA).