ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rays lefty Shane McClanahan and Royals right-hander Brady Singer did their part to make Friday’s matchup of two of the game’s top young starters — as well as a USF Bull against a Florida Gator — match the hype.
Each allowed two runs, Singer working six innings (five hits, seven strikeouts) and McClanahan seven (two hits, eight strikeouts).
Then both watched as the game was decided in the 10th inning, with the Royals winning, 3-2.
The Royals took the lead in the top of the 10th without a hit. They bunted Michael A. Taylor, who started the inning as the runner on second, to third. He then scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Massey.
The Rays didn’t do anything right in their 10th, as Yandy Diaz grounded out to shortstop, then Roman Quinn was caught stealing third, and Francisco Mejia flied to left.
Tampa Bay lost in extra innings for the ninth time in 17 games and fell to 63-55, at the very least dropping to the third and final American League wild-card spot.
Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the third. McClanahan got two outs and was ahead 1-2 on leadoff man MJ Melendez but missed on three straight breaking balls. McClanahan then started Royals rookie sensation Bobby Witt Jr. with a slider, and he gave it a ride — 438 feet at an exit velocity of 110.3 mph over the center-field fence. (His father, Bobby, was on the other end of 10 homers at the Trop during his 16-season pitching career, including eight in 1999 when he was with the Devil Rays).
The Rays had an opportunity to at least cut into the lead in their half of the third when they loaded the bases with two outs and had their RBI man, Randy Arozarena, at the plate. But Harold Ramirez inexplicably got picked off second. The Rays challenged the play but after a review, the umpires said the call stood.
In the sixth, the Rays did get even.
David Peralta led off with a single, and Ramirez followed with a double. After slumping Ji-Man Choi struck out, Arozarena came through with a single to right, scoring both runners.
The Rays had another chance thwarted by an out on the bases in the ninth. Taylor Walls slapped a single to left with one out and was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double.
