ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Royals lost to the Rays, 4-3, at Tropicana Field on Thursday night. Royals rookie first baseman Ryan O'Hearn made a throwing error on a play at the plate that allowed the Rays to squeak in a run in the bottom of the ninth inning and walk off victorious.
It was the second Royals error of the night. Second baseman Whit Merrifield committed a throwing error that cost the Royals their 3-2 lead in the seventh inning.
Before they were swept in a series of three or more games for the 12th time this season, starting pitcher Danny Duffy returned to the mound for the Royals after a 12-day absence. He seemed more like himself than he had in his previous two outings, striking out seven batters in five innings on Thursday.
But it wasn't a mistake-free start. Duffy yielded two runs on six hits and two walks. He still struggled to control his pitch count, elevating it to 79 through four innings.
Yet his fastball velocity, which had diminished to an average of 90 mph in a loss on Aug. 11, was back in the 93-95-mph range for his first four innings of work.
Either way, the Royals bullpen could not hold what had been a 3-2 lead when Duffy departed after the fifth inning.
When it seemed the Rays might stake Royals reliever Kevin McCarthy to a loss in the seventh inning, the Rays thwarted themselves by way of an illegal slide.
With the score 3-3, Kevin Kiermaier hit a routine ground ball to Merrifield, initiating what should have been a double play but was ruled on the field as a fielder's choice. Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar had gotten his foot on the bag at second base to force out Willy Adames, then threw to first baseman O'Hearn. Kiermaier beat the throw, allowing a run to score.
But within seconds, Escobar and Merrifield appealed to their bench for a review. They contended that Adames had executed an illegal slide, intentionally interfering with Escobar's play. Royals replay man Bill Duplissea gave the go-ahead for a challenge. Umpires overturned the call within two minutes, giving the Royals an inning-ending double play and erasing what had been the Rays' go-ahead run.
Still, the Royals could not keep back the Rays in the ninth, and KC dropped to 38-90 on the season.
