Bobby Witt Jr. homers as Royals earn 3-game sweep with 8-2 win over Rays

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered to extend his hitting streak to 22 games and had three RBIs, Seth Lugo pitched solid six innings and the Kansas City Royals earned a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays with an 8-2 victory on Thursday.

Vinnie Pasquantino had a single, a double and two RBIs for the Royals, who have won nine of their past 10.

The crowd of 8,794 was the first non-sellout in 22 games this season for the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.

Mikael Garcia hit a line-drive double to center field for the Royals, stole third base and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Massey to tie it 1-1 in the fourth.

Lugo (3-3) gave up two runs and five hits with five strikeouts. Daniel Lynch IV, Angel Zerpa and Chris Stratton each threw a scoreless inning of relief for the Royals.

Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (67) delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Shane Baz (3-1) gave up seven runs and nine hits with three walks over 5 2/3 innings and had his ERA increase from 2.45 to 3.86.

Yandy Díaz hit a solo homer in the first for the Rays. Jonathan Aranda added an RBI single in the sixth.

Salvador Perez (hip soreness) left the game in the seventh inning. The 34-year-old catcher was in the lineup at designated hitter, replaced behind the plate by Freddie Fermin. Perez hit an RBI double in the fifth and Fermin had a double, a single and scored twice.

Key moment

Witt hit a two-out, two-run homer down the line in right field to spark a three-run fifth that gave the Royals a 4-1 lead.

Kansas City Royals’ Maikel Garcia steals third base under Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero (13) during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Key stat

Witt has a hit in 22 consecutive games, tied with Brian McRae (in 1991) for the sixth-longest hitting streak in Royals history.

Up next

Right-hander Michael Wacha (1-3, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound on Friday in the first of a three-game series in Baltimore. RHP Dean Kremer (1-3, 7.04 ERA) is expected to pitch for the Orioles.

Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (2-3, 4.24 ERA) is set to face left-hander Max Fried (5-0, 1.19 ERA) on Friday to start a three-game series against the Yankees in New York.