Kansas City RoyalsvsTampa Bay Rays
KC 12/TB 5
Things to say
The Royals beat the Rays 12-5 on the road at Tropicana Field.
01
opener
Royals just put up a dozen on the road in Tampa. Twelve to five, never really close after the middle innings. KC's bats were locked in all night.
02
key player
The whole heart of the order was barreling everything up. When KC strings hits together like that, it doesn't matter who's on the mound for Tampa.
03
hot take
Twelve runs in that ballpark? Rays pitching is in trouble. They went to the pen way too early and it snowballed.
04
deep cut
It was a getaway day, too. Those late-series afternoon games, the road team smelling a sweep, KC just kept the line moving.
05
exit
Anyway, Royals look frisky for a sub-.500 club. Curious if they carry it into the next series.
The recap
Kansas City went into the Trop and absolutely tore the cover off it, hanging a 12-spot on the Rays to steal a getaway day. This was the heart of the order doing damage all night, putting up crooked numbers early and never letting Tampa Bay back into it.
The Rays' starter never got into his stuff and the manager had to go to the pen way too early, which just opened the floodgates. For a 34-46 club, that's the kind of laugher you bottle up and remember.