MLB ROUNDUP
TRANSLATED BY: deftext.xrul BC-BBA—Royals-Rays,0518 Rasmussen no-hit try into 6th after near-gem, Rays top KC Drew Rasmussen took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his first start since making a serious perfect game bid and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 AP Photo transref:SPD105, transref:SPD101, transref:SPD102, transref:SPD104, transref:SPD107, transref:SPD108, transref:SPD111 Eds: UPDATES: With AP Photos. By MARK DIDTLER Associated Press Drew Rasmussen took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his first start since making a serious perfect game bid and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2. Rasmussen, who lost his perfect game last Sunday when Baltimore’s Jorge Mateo opened the ninth with a double, walked MJ Melendez leading off the first. Melendez got the Royals’ first hit when he lined a single into center past Rasmussen with one out in the sixth. Bobby Witt doubled before Ramussen’s final batter, Salvador Perez, hit a sacrifice fly. Rasmussen gave up two runs, two hits and one walk along with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Drew Rasmussen took a no-hit try into the sixth inning in his first start since making a serious perfect game bid, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Saturday. Rasmussen, who lost his perfect game last Sunday when Baltimore’s Jorge Mateo opened the ninth with a double, walked MJ Melendez leading off the Royals first. Melendez got the Royals’ first hit when he lined a single into center past Rasmussen with one out in the sixth. Bobby Witt Jr. doubled before Ramussen’s final batter, Salvador Perez, hit a sacrifice fly. Rasmussen gave up two runs, two hits and one walk along with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Brooks Raley replaced Rasmussen and allowed an RBI single to Vinnie Pasquantino that got the Royals within 4-2. After Pasquantino reached on an error by third baseman Isaac Paredes with one out in the first, Rasmussen retired 14 in a row. Peter Fairbanks, the third Tampa Bay reliever, worked the ninth to get his third save and complete a four-hitter. Six of the first eight Rays’ batters had hits off Kris Bubic (2-8), who allowed four runs, eight hits and two walks over 3 ? innings. Two came in the first when strong defensive plays by Witt at third and center fielder Michael A. Taylor helped keep the game scoreless. Tampa Bay went up 3-0 in the second as the initial four batters’ had hits, including an RBI single by Yu Chang and Taylor Walls’ run-scoring double. The other run crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Chang added an eighth-inning sacrfiice fly. Yandy Diaz made it 4-0 with a fourth-inning RBI double. There was a loud cheer from the crowd when the stadium playing field lights went out for a second in the seventh with a thunderstorm rumbling overhead. MISSING OUT, AGAIN? The Rays host a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels starting Monday night and currently are not slated to face Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher. Ohtani (10-7), who has not pitched at Tropicana Field, is scheduled to start Sunday at Detroit but there is a chance of rain. MOVING DAY The Royals optioned RHP Max Castillo to Triple-A Omaha and recalled RHP Collin Snider. Castillo allowed one run over five innings in his Kansas City debut Thursday. TRAINER’S ROOM Rays: RF Manuel Margot (right patellar strain) went 1 for 4 in his return. ... RHP Tyler Glasnow (Tommy John surgery, Aug, 2021) threw 20 pitches in his first BP session. . SS Wander Franco (right hamate bone surgery) sat out his fourth consecutive game with Triple-A Durham after departing his first rehab game Tuesday with hand soreness. . OF Roman Quinn (left knee contusion) went on the 10-day IL. UP NEXT Royals: RHP Zack Greinke (4-8), winless in six road decisions this year, starts Sunday. Rays LHP Ryan Yarbrough (1-7) will start or follow an opener.Tyler Alexander pitched six strong innings and the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen finished off a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers had lost two straight and 10 of 12. Alexander (3-7) allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings, notching his first win in eight starts this season. Detroit’s bullpen then pitched three hitless innings, with Gregory Soto throwing the ninth for his 23rd save. Los Angeles’ Reid Detmers (4-4) took the loss, allowing four runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings.
