TAMPA — The Rays struggled against rookie lefty Noah Cameron, going hitless until the seventh inning as they fell 3-0 to the Royals. It was a tough night marked by only four singles for Tampa Bay.
Cameron, 25, made his MLB debut after being called up from Triple-A to fill in for Royals ace Cole Ragans, who’s sidelined with a groin strain. As the Royals’ No. 5 prospect, he came into the game with a solid 2-0 record and a 3.22 ERA at Omaha.
This loss marked the Rays’ second consecutive defeat, dropping their record to 14-16 after a five-game winning streak during a road trip to Arizona and San Diego.
Despite getting six players on base through a mix of walks and an error, the Rays didn’t secure their first hit until Curtis Mead’s single with one out in the seventh, ending Cameron’s impressive outing after 79 pitches.
Starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen had a mediocre performance, allowing three runs before being taken out after five innings and 72 pitches.
Once again, Tampa Bay found themselves trailing early, as it’s now the 11th time in 30 games they’ve conceded runs in the first inning. Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a single, followed by Vinny Pasquantino’s two-run homer to right-center.
The Royals extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth. After Cavan Biggio walked and moved to second on Jonathan India’s infield single, Witt contributed yet another single that brought Biggio home.
Rasmussen, who started strong this season, has now given up multiple runs for the second straight game, finishing with three runs, six hits, and a season-low three strikeouts.
Numbers of the Day
8-2, 6-14
These are the Rays’ records when they score first and when they don’t.
Next Game: Thursday vs. Royals
1:10 PM, Steinbrenner Field
Pitchers: Rays: RH Shane Baz (3-0, 2.45); Royals: RH Seth Lugo (2-3, 3.08)
TV/Radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 95.3-FM, 620-AM, 106.7-FM (Spanish)
Info: raysbaseball.com
On Deck
Friday: at Yankees, 7:05 PM. Rays: RH Ryan Pepiot (2-3, 4.24); Yankees: LH Max Fried (5-0, 1.19)
Saturday: at Yankees, 1:05 PM. Rays: RH Zack Littell (1-5, 5.03); Yankees: RH Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 5.52)
Sunday: at Yankees, 1:35 PM. Rays: RH Taj Bradley (2-2, 4.58); Yankees: RH Will Warren (1-1, 5.63)
Monday: Off
Injured List
• OF Jonny DeLuca (10-day, right shoulder strain)
• RHP Alex Faedo (60-day, right shoulder inflammation)
• RHP Kevin Kelly (15-day, left gluteal strain)
• INF Ha-Seong Kim (10-day, right shoulder surgery recovery)
• LHP Nathan Lavender (60-day, left shoulder surgery recovery)
• OF Josh Lowe (10-day, right oblique strain)
• OF Jake Mangum (10-day, left groin strain)
• LHP Shane McClanahan (60-day, left triceps nerve-related issue)
• INF/OF Richie Palacios (10-day, right knee sprain)
FAQs
Why did the Rays struggle against the Royals?
Their offense was stifled by rookie pitcher Noah Cameron, failing to get a hit until late in the game.
What’s next for the Rays?
They’ll face the Royals again on Thursday, looking to bounce back and improve their record.
Who’s currently injured on the Rays roster?
Several players are on the injured list, including outfielders Jonny DeLuca and Josh Lowe, and pitcher Shane McClanahan.
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