The Tampa Bay Rays dominated the Kansas City Royals with an 11-3 victory in Friday night’s game. Jose Siri played a crucial role, hitting a three-run homer in the second inning and contributing an RBI single in the fourth, giving the Rays a 4-3 lead. Siri expressed satisfaction with the team’s collective effort and hoped for a repeat performance in the upcoming games.
The Rays had an impressive offensive display, tallying 17 hits with every starting position player recording at least one hit. Zach Eflin, the winning pitcher, improved his record to 9-3 by allowing three runs and seven hits over six innings. Eflin highlighted the gritty nature of his outing.
On the Royals’ side, Nick Pratto and Salvador Perez hit home runs. However, Perez had to exit the game due to a right hamstring cramp, and he was replaced by Freddy Fermin at catcher. The Royals, who currently possess the second-worst record in the majors at 21-55, faced a tough challenge against the dominant Rays.
Harold Ramírez started a four-run fifth inning with an RBI single, leading to an 8-3 advantage for Tampa Bay. The Royals’ struggles continued as relief pitcher Jose Cuas allowed all three batters he faced to reach base, resulting in Taylor Walls’ two-run single and a run-scoring double by Christian Bethancourt.
Randy Arozarena’s single in the eighth inning brought in his 54th RBI, contributing to the Rays’ 11-3 lead.
Regarding the absence of Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco, he sat out for the second consecutive day due to his handling of frustrating situations. Rays manager Kevin Cash stated that Franco would be benched for at least two games, emphasizing the team’s support for the young player.
In terms of milestones, Zack Greinke made his 530th career start, tying Hall of Famer Eddie Plank for 35th place all-time. The Rays’ impressive home record continued, with the team now standing at 33-9 in home games this season.
Looking ahead, the Royals’ Jordan Lyles (0-11) will aim to break his season-opening 15-start winless streak in the next game, while the Rays’ Yonny Chirinos (3-2) is expected to start or follow an opener.
The MLB scoreboard for Friday, June 23, 2023:
Milwaukee 7, Cleveland 1
Colorado 7, LA Angels 4
LA Dodgers 3, Houston 2
Minnesota 4, Detroit 1
Seattle 13, Baltimore 1
Texas 4, NY Yankees 2 (10)
Oakland 5, Toronto 4
Boston 3, Chicago White Sox 1
Cincinnati 11, Atlanta 10 (Reds winning streak up to 12)
Pittsburgh 3, Miami 1
Philadelphia 5, NY Mets 1
San Diego 13, Washington 3
San Francisco 8, Arizona 5
