Royals get two homers in 10th for 7-4 win over Rays
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. | Figure this. Even Joakim Soria couldn’t hold down the Tampa Bay Rays and, still, the Royals avoided a four-game sweep Monday afternoon by pulling out a 7-4 victory in 10 innings at Tropicana Field.
John Buck hit a three-run homer — on his birthday — that struck high off the left-field foul pole. Mike Aviles followed with a drive over the left-field wall.
All that provided the Mexicutioner with a second chance, and a four-run lead, to cool off the red-hot Rays. And while Soria, 1-1, gave up another run, on a homer by Eric Hiske, he still secured the victory.
“Joakim has carried us,” Buck said. “A lot of our wins are a credit to him. To be able to return the favor, even if it’s just once, it feels good to be able to pick him up.”
The loss snapped Tampa Bay’s six-game winning streak; the Royals improved to 40-50 and completed a 3-5 trip that began with a 2-2 split in Baltimore.
“Even when Soria gave up that run,” right fielder Mark Teahen said, “we came back to the dugout knowing if we could scratch out a run, he’d probably make it stand up.”
Billy Butler opened the 10th against reliever Dan Wheeler, 2-4, by lashing a grounder to third. Evan Longoria made a fine pickup but sailed the throw past first baseman Carlos Peña.
“Don’t forget Billy running out that (grounder),” left fielder David DeJesus said. “Longoria tried to throw it from down under. So even though we’d just lost the lead, we had a man on second.”
The Royals sent Esteban German in to run for Butler. German went to third on Teahen’s grounder to second before Wheeler intentionally walked Ross Gload.
Up stepped Buck on his 28th birthday — and he found the perfect way to celebrate; he jacked a 1-0 fastball into the screen for his fourth homer of the year.
“I knew that I hit it well,” Buck said. “I didn’t think it was going to be caught, but the way it was hooking made me a little nervous. I stayed through it just enough.”
The stunned crowd then saw Aviles line a 1-0 curveball over the left-field wall for his fourth homer of the year.
“That’s what happens when you miss your spots,” Wheeler said.
Soria inherited a 3-2 lead starting the ninth and began the inning by striking out Carl Crawford on three pitches. Soria jumped ahead 1-2 on Carlos Peña before Peña teed off on a 92-mph fastball.
“That fastball caught just a little too much of the plate,” manager Trey Hillman said. “It was in Peña’s nitro zone, and he got it out of the ballpark.”
Peña pumped his right arm in exultation as he rounded the bases, the Rays were even at 3-3, and Soria had just his second blown save in 25 opportunities.
Peña’s homer snatched a victory from Gil Meche, who yielded two runs in the first but scrambled through a series of jams over the next few innings. He handed a 3-2 lead to Ron Mahay with one out in the sixth and runners at first and second.
“We won,” Meche said. “Yeah, I want to win games. No doubt about it, but the way I pitched, it could have been really bad. So I’m going to take that.”
Mahay and Ramon Ramirez protected the one-run lead through he eighth.
“If you permit them to get to the back end of their bullpen,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said, “they’re a real good team.”
Usually unbeatable once Soria gets involved.
Next page >
To reach Bob Dutton, Royals reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4352 or send e-mail to bdutton@kcstar.com
Join the discussion
Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open debate is the goal, but please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as violation" link to notify a KansasCity.com editor. Thanks for your feedback.