Zack Littell pitched well for five innings, giving up only four hits before rain came and interrupted the game. After a 2 1/2-hour delay, Tampa Bay’s bullpen continued strong, allowing just one run as they defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-1.
Brandon Lowe hit a home run, Isaac Paredes drove in two runs, and Richie Palacios contributed with three hits, an RBI, and scored on a wild pitch by Brady Singer, which was the only run scored before the rain delay.
After play resumed, Kevin Kelly, Colin Poche, and Jason Adam combined to limit the Royals to one run, which came from Bobby Witt Jr.’s home run in the sixth inning. Pete Fairbanks closed the game in the ninth inning for the Rays.
“Guys stayed focused,” Littell commented. “They showed that by coming back strong after the delay.”
Littell managed to escape trouble in his last inning before the rain, striking out Kyle Isbel with runners on the corners as thunder echoed through Kauffman Stadium. The rain started to fall just after the players left the field.
“We kept relaxed in the clubhouse,” Palacios said. “We kept it fun, kept talking, and made sure we were ready to get back out there with some energy. Our goal was to score more runs.”
Tampa Bay extended their lead with Palacios hitting an RBI double in the sixth inning off John Schreiber. Paredes added a two-run double in the seventh off Chris Stratton, and Lowe hit a home run off Nick Anderson in the ninth inning to secure the win.
