Rays Get No-Hit Into 7th, Look Lifeless in 3-0 Loss to Royals on Wednesday

Kansas City pitcher Noah Cameron made his major-league debut Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, and all he did was take a no-hitter into the seventh inning. He gave up one hit, and the Royals won easily, 3-0.

Kansas City Royals rookie Noah Cameron picked up the win in his major-league debut, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-0. He only allowed one hit in 6 1/3 innings. | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

TAMPA, Fla. — If rookie Noah Cameron was nervous about making his major-league debut Wednesday night, he sure didn't show it. The Kansas City Royals left-hander had Tampa Bay hitters completely baffled all night.

Cameron breezed through his first six innings, not allowing a base hit. He struggled a bit with control — he had five walks — but didn't give up a hit until Curtis Mead lined a shot down the left-field line with one out in the seventh inning. Cameron left after that, but the Royals bullpen completed the shutout for a 3-0 win, their second victory in two nights over the Rays at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

The Royals led from the jump, scoring twice in the first inning off Rays starter Drew Rasmussen (1-2). Bobby Witt Jr. had a one-out single – extending his major-league-leading hitting streak to 21 games — and then first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino hit a grooved first-pitch fastball over the right-field fence to give Kansas City a 2-0 lead.

It was his fourth home run of the season, and just the second homer allowed by Rasmussen in six starts. That was really all the Royals needed, but they did add an insurance run in the fifth inning when Rasmussen walked Gaven Biggio, gave up an infield single to Jonathan India and then Witt singled to right to make it 3-0.

It was the second straight game that Rasmussen has given up three runs or more in a start after allowing just two earned runs combined in his first four starts. His ERA was 0.87 in the first four starts, but 6.30 in the last two.

The Rays actually did have a few chances to score — they were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position — but never could get a timely hit. They had two walks in the second inning, but Curtis Mead, who is hitting .139, grounded into a double play. They got two more runners on in the fifth with a fielding error and a walk, but shortstop Taylor Walls, who is hitting .155, lined out to third to end the threat.

Mead's single off Cameron in the seventh, which came after a Brandon Lowe walk, put two men on base, but Aranda flied out to right and Walls flied out to left to ruin another rally.

In the eighth, Yandy Diaz singled off reliever Luis Erceg with one out and Christopher Morel was hit by a pitch. But Junior Caminero flied out to center and Lowe popped up. They threatened again in the ninth with singles by Kameron Misner and Aranda, but Walls struck out and lead-off hitter Chandler Simpson flied out to left to end the game.

Simpson, who hit safely in his first eight games with the Rays, went 0-for-5 for the second night in a row.

The Rays are now 14-16 on the season, dropping two straight to the Royals after winning five in a row on the road in Arizona and San Diego. The Royals are now 16-15 and have won eight of nine. They have had three shutouts since Friday, and have allowed just five runs in their last six games.

The two teams will wrap on the series with a matinee on Thursday afternoon. Shane Baz (3-0, 2.45 ERA) will start for the Rays and veteran Seth Lugo (2-3, 3.08 ERA) will go for the Royals. Lugo hasn't gotten much run support this year. Kansas City has scored just two total runs in his three losses.