ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Royals arrived at Tropicana Field on Monday hoping to see pitcher Jorge Lopez take steps in the right direction after his six-run debut last week.
They got what they wanted, though maybe not in the most efficient form: Lopez allowed one run in five innings as the Royals lost 1-0 to the Rays, but it took 95 pitches to navigate the Rays lineup. He yielded five hits and issued three walks, executing pitches where he wanted them but at times not getting borderline calls from home plate umpire Scott Barry.
"He could have gotten quicker decisions (on hitters)," manager Ned Yost said. "They were pitches that could have gone either way. ... But I thought he threw the ball extremely well."
Perhaps most encouraging for Lopez was the comfort he felt on the mound, even as he hovered around 94-95 mph with his fastball. He was made to sweat, especially as his pitch count jumped to 75 in a 32-pitch third frame in which he issued all three walks. But the damage done by the Rays, who shut out the 88-win Red Sox on Sunday, was minimal.
A bunt single dropped by Ji-Man Choi in the second inning spurred a string of four consecutive Rays reaching base _ the only inning that doomed the Royals where pitching was concerned.
The Rays challenged a call that Willy Adames, the fourth batter, was out at first base. Royals third baseman Rosell Herrera charged a ground ball hit up the line and made a quick transfer to Lucas Duda at first. But replays showed Adames was a second quicker to the bag. Umpires overturned the call, rewarding Adames with an RBI and an infield hit.
"The guys just went up there and fouled, fouled, fouled," Lopez said. "When you've got guys like that you've got to keep making pitches and see what happens. I feel everything was good. My rhythm, timing. Just didn't execute one _ the curveball to Kevin Kiermaier (who lined a single to right field)."
The Royals offense, which fell dormant after putting together a six-run second inning in Sunday's loss in Chicago, remained in a deep slumber.
"We didn't have any (timely hitting)," Yost said.
Indeed, for the Royals tallied six hits but none in five opportunities runners in scoring position. When Salvador Perez dunked a double into right field to lead off the fourth inning against Rays reliever Ryan Yarbrough, he was stranded along with Duda, who walked, as Yarbrough struck out the side.
Yarbrough pitched five scoreless innings after spelling Rays opener Hunter Wood with two outs in the second. The remainder of the Rays bullpen helped Tampa Bay record its second straight shutout of the season.
The Royals struck out 10 times and left seven on base as they fell to 38-87 in 2018.
