BASEBALL: Michael Wacha throws 7 strong innings in Royals' win over Rays

Michael Wacha delivered seven strong innings, and Lane Thomas and Carter Jensen each drove in a run as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 2-1, on Monday night in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Michael Wacha (5-5) earned his 11th quality start of the season, allowing just one run on a two-out RBI double to Yandy Díaz in the fifth inning. He gave up five additional hits, issued one walk, and struck out five. Kansas City has now won four of its last five games, snapping a stretch in which it had lost each of Wacha’s previous seven starts.

On the other side, Drew Rasmussen (6-4) allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five over six innings for Tampa Bay. Chandler Simpson collected two hits, and Díaz extended his on-base streak to 20 games. The Rays went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and have now lost seven of their last 10 games.

Kansas City struck first in the second inning when Michael Massey drew a leadoff walk and later scored from first on a double by Lane Thomas that reached the left-field bullpen.

Rasmussen settled in by retiring 10 straight batters before Nick Loftin lined a one-out single in the fifth. Loftin stole second and eventually scored on a single by Carter Jensen, who extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games.

Tampa Bay responded in the bottom of the fifth when No. 9 hitter Richie Palacios singled with two outs and scored on Díaz’s drive off the left-center-field wall.

Wacha remained effective into the seventh inning. Simpson opened the frame with a single and moved to second on a groundout by Ben Williamson, but Wacha struck out Nick Fortes and induced a popout from Palacios to escape the threat.

In relief, John Schreiber struck out two in the eighth, and Jensen threw out Victor Mesa Jr. attempting to steal second. Alex Lange closed out the game with a perfect ninth inning for his sixth save in as many opportunities. -Field Level Media/Reuters