Royals 8, Rays 2
Mike Moustakas belted a go-ahead two-run homer and James Shields pitched seven strong innings to beat his former team as Kansas City rallied past visiting Tampa Bay.
Shields (2-2) allowed two runs and five hits while striking seven and walking one to win his first meeting against the Rays since the off-season trade. Moustakas also had a sacrifice fly and a single to go along with his first home run of the season as the Royals totaled 14 hits.
Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb (3-2) gave up four hits and no runs through 5 2/3 innings before Kansas City touched him up for six consecutive hits to end his night. Matt Joyce belted a two-run homer in the first inning and James Loney had three hits for the Rays.
Eric Hosmer started the sixth-inning rally with a double and scored on Lorenzo Cain’s single. Moustakas belted a 1-0 pitch from Cobb over the right-field fence and the Royals scored another on a Salvador Perez RBI single for a 4-2 lead.
Kansas City added three more in the seventh, capped by Jeff Francoeur’s RBI triple. Perez, Francoeur, Cain, Moustakas and former Rays infielder Elliot Johnson - the bottom five hitters in the order - each finished with two hits for the Royals.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Tampa Bay has homered in 15 consecutive games, matching the club record set in 2009. … Moustakas had only two RBIs in the first 21 games before Tuesday. … Rays DH/1B Luke Scott was activated from the disabled list and DH Shelley Duncan was designated for assignment. Scott struck out twice in his four at-bats.