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The Royals can even their season record at home tonight with a win against the Rays.
With a current three-game winning streak, the Kansas City Royals are now at 4-4 since the All-Star Break and 41-58 on the season. Tonight, they'll try to make their second half a bit brighter than their first with a win against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays are currently 52-46 and fell last night in the first game of the series to the Royals, 10-4.
KC has won three straight dating back to the last two games of the ChiSox series and last night's offensive show. Every Royals starting player had a hit last night, including Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francoeur who each had three. Billy Butler hit home run No. 7 on the season, and the Royals pen held up with 3+ shutout innings.
Game time tonight is 6:10 CT at Kauffman Stadium where the Royals are 27-28 for the year. Jeff Francis (3-11, 4.62 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Jeff Niemann (4-4, 3.94) in what should be another compelling match-up. The bad news for KC is that Niemann has been red hot in his last three starts, allowing only two runs over 21+ innings. Francis, meanwhile, has taken the loss in five of his last six starts with one no-decision. Then again, the Royals haven't scored more than four runs in a Francis start since the end of May.
Eric Hosmer Produces Winning Hit As Royals Continue Winning Ways
Well this is fun, isn't it?
For the fourth time this season, yet the first time since May 3rd, the Royals have now won four games in a row. The Royals picked up that win with a walk-off 5-4 10-inning victory over the Rays as Eric Hosmer doubled to bring Mike Aviles home from first base. Kansas City picked up their 11th walk-off victory of the season to lead all of baseball.
After falling behind 2-0, Kansas City tied it up in the fourth inning when Mike Moustakas doubled to drive in two runs. Moustakas would go on to finish the evening 2-for-3 with 3 RBI. It was a good outing for the young third basemen as he looked like he is finally gaining confidence and removing himself from the demons he has faced at the plate.
The heat and a high pitch count played into Jeff Francis lasting just five innings for the Royals in which he gave up three runs on nine hits. The Rays would score once more in the fifth off Francis and in the sixth off reliever Greg Holland to take a 4-2 lead at the time.
Holland however put together a solid three inning outing for Kansas City, giving up a run on one hit and one walk. He also struck out six.
The Royals got one run back in the bottom of the sixth via another Moustakas RBI and then tied the game in the ninth inning off Rays closer and former Royal Kyle Farnsworth. Alex Gordon doubled to deep right center to score Alcides Escobar from first and take it to extras where Joakim Soria worked out of a bases loaded jam to give the Royals a chance for the win in the bottom of the 10th.
Soria picked up the win to move to 5-3, while lowering his ERA to 3.64. Kansas City improves to 42-58 and will go for the sweep tomorrow with the surprising Felipe Paulino on the mound.
Jul 23 10:14p by Matthew Hays