ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Rays got a rare win over Kansas City with a dominating performance.
Jake Odorizzi had his third consecutive scoreless start, Steven Souza Jr. homered for the first time in two months and Tampa Bay beat the Royals 12-0 on Wednesday night.
Brad Miller and Kevin Kiermaier also homered for the Rays, who are 7-25 against the Royals since the start of the 2012 season.
“Figured out a way to beat those guys,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “They’ve given us everything we could handle and more.”
Kansas City had won the first two games of the four-game series and all five previous meetings this season.
Odorizzi (6-5) allowed two singles, walked two and had six strikeouts in six innings. The right-hander has not given up a run in 20 2/3 innings over the three-start stretch.
“Odo was outstanding, again,” Cash said. “He’s really gotten on a very nice run, which has been great to see.”
Enny Romero and Ryan Garton completed a two-hitter.
“Seeing 12 up there at the end is really nice,” Odorizzi said. “The guys in the bullpen came in and finished the last three innings to keep the shutout going. The defense played really great, the offense was outstanding, obviously.”
After Evan Longoria had a sacrifice fly, Souza put the Rays up 4-0 on his three-run shot off Edinson Volquez (8-10) in the first. Souza had gone 109 at-bats without a homer after going deep June 4 against Minnesota’s Ervin Santana.
Miller made it 5-0 during the third with his 18th homer.
Volquez gave up eight runs and 11 hits in five-plus innings.
“They got me today,” Volquez said.
Kansas City had three errors, and now has three games this season where it has given up at least 12 runs and made at least three errors. It happened once in the previous six seasons.
Kiermaier, who entered hitting .163 with two RBIs in 16 games since coming back from a fractured left hand, hit a three-run drive off Chien-Ming Wang in a five-run sixth to put the Rays ahead 11-0.
MOVING DAY
Royals: OF Billy Burns, acquired from Oakland Friday, was recalled from Triple-A Omaha and RHP Brooks Pounderswas optioned to the Pacific Coast League club.
Rays: INF-OF Richie Shaffer was recalled from Triple-A Durham and UTL Taylor Motter was optioned the International League club.
DUFFY’S DAY
SS Matt Duffy, acquired Monday in a four-player deal that sent LHP Matt Moore to San Francisco, could be a week away from returning from a strained left Achilles’ tendon. “Just getting back up to speed and making sure that I’m 100 percent confident in this thing going forward,” Duffy said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: Burns will probably start Thursday because manager Ned Yost does not want Lorenzo Cain to play a fourth straight game on the artificial turf at Tropicana Field. Cain returned from a left hamstring strain Friday.
Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled to go three innings in a rehab start Thursday night with Class A Charlotte.
UP NEXT
Royals RHP Ian Kennedy (6-9) will face Rays LHP Drew Smyly (3-11) Thursday. Kennedy (26) and Smyly (22) are among the major-league leaders in home runs allowed.
