Michael Wacha fires 7 quality innings to spur Royals to 2-1 victory in Tampa Bay

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Michael Wacha allowed one run over seven strong innings while Lane Thomas and Carter Jensen had RBIs to push the Kansas City Royals past the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Monday night.

Wacha (5-5) allowed six hits, walked one and struck out five. The former Rays pitcher held Tampa Bay to 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and didn’t allow a run until Yandy Díaz’s two-out double in the fifth plated Richie Palacios from first.

Kansas City got on the board in the second when Michael Massey drew a walk, just the second issued over a four-start stretch by Rays starter Drew Rasmussen (6-4). Massey scored from first on a double by Thomas.

Rasmussen then sat down 10 in a row before Jensen’s fifth-inning single drove in Nick Loftin, who’d singled and stole second. After Jensen’s hit, Rays pitchers retired the final 14 in order but Tampa Bay couldn’t touch Wacha. The right-hander leads the American League with 11 quality starts this season.

Wacha got 10 ground-ball outs and Kansas City earned its fourth win in five games.

Jensen also threw out pinch runner Victor Mesa Jr. attempting to steal, ending the eighth. Before that, Tampa Bay fumbled scoring opportunities in five of the first seven innings and stranded five overall.

Royals closer Alex Lange pitched a perfect ninth to record his sixth save.

Chandler Simpson had two hits for Tampa Bay.

Kansas City managed just four hits off Rays pitching, including Maikel Garcia’s first-inning fly ball that caromed off the Tropicana Field catwalk and became a double when Rays shortstop Ben Williamson couldn’t make the catch.

LHP Shane McClanahan (6-4, 3.33 ERA) gets the nod for the Rays opposite Royals RHP Luinder Avila (2-3, 5.50) on Tuesday night.

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