KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
Bobby Witt Jr. homered and tripled with three RBIs, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-4 on Sunday for their second win in 10 games.
In a game that sped by in 1 hour, 54 minutes, Brady Singer (6-8) won for the second time in seven starts since June 4. Singer allowed four runs and seven hits in a season-high eight innings as Kansas City improved to 27-67, the second-worst record in the major leagues and ahead of only Oakland.
He needed 70 pitches through seven innings and led 7-0 before Isaac Paredes hit a solo homer and Francisco Mejía hit a three-run drive for the AL-best Rays (60-36).
Zach Eflin (10-5) gave up a season-high five runs and seven hits over a season-low three innings, allowing hits to seven of his first 11 batters. The Rays had won three straight after a season-worst seven-game losing streak.
In a game that started one hour later because of rain, Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez left in the second inning after feeling left hamstring discomfort while scoring on Melendez’s double.
MJ Melendez hit a two-out RBI double in the first and the Royals opened a 5-0 lead in the second. Drew Waters hit an RBI triple and scored on Nick Pratto's single. Witt, who has an extra-base hit in six straight games, hit a two-run, two-out triple.
Drew Waters led off the fourth against Yonny Chirinos with a 465-foot home run to the uypper level of the right-field fountains.
Witt led off the fifth with his 16th and Melendez hit a solo homer in the eighth off Chirinos.
TRANSACTIONS
Royals RHP Collin Snider was optioned to Omaha and RHP Max Castillo was recalled from the Triple-A team.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals RHP Josh Staumont, placed on the 60-day IL on Saturday, is expected to have thoracic outlet syndrome surgery and miss the rest of the season.
UP NEXT
Rays: LHP Shane McClanahan (11-1, 2.53) will return from a stint on the 15-day IL caused by a back injury to oppose Rangers RHP Dane Dunning (8-2, 2.84) in Texas on Monday.
Tigers: RHP Matt Manning (3-1, 3.72) takes on Royals RHP Jordan Lyles (1-11, 6.42) in Kansas City on Monday.
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