Rays show superiority in 11-3 blowout win over Royals

Royals pitchers combined to give up 17 hits in an 11-3 loss to the Rays on Friday night.

Nick Pratto got the game started with a bang, smacking a line drive over the right field fence for his fifth home run of the season. But Zack Greinke gave up the lead and then some in the bottom of the second when he gave up a three-run home run to Jose Siri to make it 3-1 Rays.

After a Bobby Witt Jr. walk in the third - his eighth in his last 11 games - Salvador Perez tied it up with his 15th home run of the year.

But Siri put the Rays ahead in the fourth with an RBI single, giving him four runs driven in on the day.

Things got away from the Royals in the fifth. With two outs, Harold Ramirez singles home a run off Greinke, causing him to exit the game. But reliever Jose Cuas gave up two hits and a walk without getting the third out, allowing three more runs to score in the inning to make it 8-3 Rays. Greinke would be tagged for seven of those runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

The Royals collected a pair of hits in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings but were unable to plate a run. Salvy had to exit with a hamstring cramp in the sixth. The Rays added three more runs in the eighth off Jackson Kowar. Bobby Witt Jr. and Drew Waters each had a pair of hits.

The Royals fall to 21-55 and will take on the Rays again tomorrow with Jordan Lyles schedule to pitch with the game scheduled for 3:10 CT.