Miller's blast lifts Rays over Royals
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Brad Miller hit a three-run homer off Joakim Soria in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Rays to a 3-2 win against the Kansas City Royals at Tropicana Field on Thursday.
Soria, who entered the game in the eighth, put the first two batters he faced on base when he gave up a hit to Logan Forsythe and walked Kevin Kiermaier. Soria battled back to strike out third baseman Evan Longoria on a full count but Miller ripped a 1-1 pitch to right field.
Going into the inning the Rays had been held to just one hit behind a strong performance from Ian Kennedy, who struck out nine over six innings.
Rays starter Drew Smyly kept up, giving up two runs and striking out 10. Smyly threw just 95 pitches in seven innings for Tampa Bay (44-63).
Smyly's one mistake came in the top of the fourth inning when he gave up a two-run homer to left fielder Alex Gordon. Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer scored on the play. The Royals had an opportunity to do more damage with a runner on in the fifth but Kiermaier robbed Hosmer of an extra-base hit with an diving catch in deep center field.
Kansas City (51-57) loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth against Rays reliever Brad Boxberger but Boxberger struck out Gordon and catcher Salvador Perez to end the threat.
The Royals got a couple of hits off Rays closer Alex Colome but he struck out third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert with runners on second and third to end the game.
Boxberger earned the win, his first of the season, while Colome got his 26th save.
GAME NOTES: Royals DH Kendrys Morales is appealing his one-game suspension and batted in the fourth spot Thursday. Morales was suspended for coming on the field to argue with the umpire after being ejected Tuesday. He will be allowed to play until his appeal is heard or dropped. "In the seventh inning, I struck out with what I thought was a ball," Morales said to MLB.com through an interpreter. "I came back [in the clubhouse] and I saw [the replay]. In the ninth inning, I let him know that the pitch I got called out on was a ball. I was very cordial and respectful. In that same at-bat [in the ninth], another pitch was called a strike that was a ball. When I went back and saw [the replay], I went back out and said something." ... Rays RHP Alex Cobb will be making his fourth rehab start of the year for Single-A Charlotte on Thursday night. Cobb threw two scoreless innings for Charlotte on Friday. ... Rays INF Matt Duffy, recently acquired from the Giants, will also start in a rehab start at Single-A Charlotte where he is expected to play six innings at shortstop.