Rays Use Small Ball to Blank Royals 3-0, Get 10 Games Over .500 For First Time

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It was quick. It was easy. It was painless. And the Tampa Bay Rays' 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night was also impressive for its offensive creativity.

The Rays got great pitching and defense, which is no surprise, and Drew Rasmussen pitched five scoreless innings on just 62 pitches, barely breaking a sweat. But what was so cool was how the Rays manufactured three runs in the second inning, which was more than enough to win the game, pushing them to 45-35 on season, a season-best 10 games over .500.

In the second, Christopher Morel reached on an infield single with one out, and then Josh Lowe followed with a single to right field, sending Morel to third. Then the small-ball attack began. Jose Caballero placed a perfect bunt down the first base line, and the Royals had no play, with Morel scoring easily.

Speedy Chandler Simpson then reached on a dribbler into the hole between short and third, loading the bases. Lowe then scored on a wild pitch by Kansas City starter Michael Wacha, and Danny Jansen — who had a big two-run homer in Tuesday's win — made it 3-0 with another perfectly placed bunt. It was his first sacrifice bunt since 2021.

Three runs, with just one ball leaving the infield. And that was more than enough to get their fifth straight road win. They are now 18-12 on the road, and their .600 winning percentage is the best in baseball.

“I feel like there are many ways we can score runs, and it’s really helpful for the team,” Caballero told reporters after the game. “We know we can trust the pitching staff, and we just need to (score some runs) and we are going to have a good chance to win the game.”

The Rays can absolutely trust the pitching in Rasmussen starts. He allowed only two hits in five innings, and Kevin Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger, Edwin Uceta and Pete Fairbanks covered the last four innings, allowing just one harmless double by Bobby Witt Jr. in the sixth. Fairbanks got his 14th save in 16 tries.

Rasmussen is now 7-5 and his ERA is down to 2.45, eighth-best in the major leagues. In his last eight games, Rasmussen is 6-1 with a 1.62 ERA.

The Rays took the series with the win, and go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon. They are now 8-1-2 in their past 11 series and are 24-9 — best in the majors — since May 20. They remained one game behind the New York Yankees in the American League East race.

And two squeeze bunts? That's finding another way to win, that's for sure.

“I think it’s a product that the guys do a tremendous job of working at it, and then making it happen, executing,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of the run-scoring bunts. “Both those bunts that we got down (by Caballero and Jansen), they’re doing it to where there’s no play at home.

“It’s not easy to bunt. They’re making it look easier than what it is. And the guys, they’re embracing whatever situation to score a run, to get it done, they’re doing it.”

The Rays had 11 hits on the night, with Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe and Simpson — who was just recalled from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday — all getting two hits each. Yandy Diaz had a first-inning single, stretching his hitting streak to a majors-best 15 games.

Shane Baz (7-3) will try to close out the series on Thursday, facing Kansas City's Michael Lorenzen. The game starts at 2:10 p.m. ET

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