ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays’ win streak ended at 11 games Tuesday night despite a dazzling outing by starter Rich Hill in a 2-1 loss to the Royals.
Hill struck out a career-high 13 — including every Royals starter at least once — over eight innings, but the two runs he allowed were too much. That was because a Rays offense that scored 95 runs in the previous 11 games managed only one against starter Brad Keller and two Royals relievers.
The Rays (30-20) were looking to match the franchise-best 12-game win streak by Lou Piniella’s 2004 team.
At 41 years and 75 days, Hill became the oldest player to appear in a game for the Rays, two days older than Wade Boggs in his Aug. 27, 1999, finale. Hill is the oldest active pitcher and second oldest player in the majors, behind only Albert Pujols.
He pitched well, allowing six hits over eight innings, throwing 99 pitches. And he got help from some tremendous defense.
Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier earned two spots in the highlights show, racing far into left field to catch Andrew Benintendi’s liner in the second, then robbing Benintendi again in the eighth with a leaping catch at the wall.
Shortstop Taylor Walls, in his first game at Tropicana Field since his Saturday callup, made a pair of sharp plays as well.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the third, mostly due to the hustle of Brett Phillips, who was acquired from the Royals last year. Phillips beat out an infield single on a grounder off the glove of Keller, stole second and went to third on a groundout. Yandy Diaz singled him in.
The Royals got even on one swing in the fourth, when Carlos Santana lined a 3-1 fastball from Hill over the center-field fence. Santana was the first Royal to reach base, as Hill had retired the first 10.
The Royals went ahead in the sixth. No. 9-hitting catcher Cam Gallagher singled on a 1-0 pitch and leadoff man Whit Merrifield did the same on the next pitch.
Hill struck out Santana, but Salvador Perez, getting a DH night, delivered an RBI single. Hill stranded the two runners by striking out the next two.
