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Fading Rays lose again, fall to 0-6 against Royals

 
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Kris Medlen (39) throwing in the first inning of the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Tampa Bay Rays in Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Saturday, August 29, 2015.
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Kris Medlen (39) throwing in the first inning of the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Tampa Bay Rays in Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Saturday, August 29, 2015.
Published Aug. 30, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays are getting an up-close sense of why the Royals are the class of the American League.

Saturday was the sixth time the teams played this season, and the sixth time the Rays lost.

The 6-3 final again showcased a basic difference between the teams: The Royals rarely give away extra outs and relentlessly take advantage of opportunities, and the Rays do — including two errors by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera that led to runs — and don't.

And that is a primary reason the Royals are poised for what should be another venture deep into October while the Rays have to rally to have any hope of making up their growing deficit in the American League wild-card race, or even to get back to .500 after dropping to a season-worst-matching three under at 63-66.

"They look like a playoff team, and I think our guys in this clubhouse know that," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "I feel like we're a playoff team. We have to play better. We have the capabilities of being that. But right now we're getting a first-hand look (at) a really good team."

The Royals, who logged their 80th win, present as a total package, something the Rays should aspire to.

"They're a really good team, and you've got to play pretty much error-free with these guys," Kevin Kiermaier said. "You can't give them any extra opportunities or they will expose you."

That's pretty much exactly what they did Saturday. Rays starter Jake Odorizzi and the bullpen couldn't close out a couple of innings they needed to, as the Royals scored four two-out runs, and Cabrera failed to make a couple of plays he admitted he should have.

Odorizzi started the third by walking Lorenzo Cain, then gave up an RBI double to Eric Hosmer. Cabrera then made his first mistake, whiffing on a line drive by Kendrys Morales that he could have caught and then doubled off Hosmer. Instead, Mike Moustakas followed with a double to make it 2-0.

"It was coming at me spinning, and I missed it," Cabrera said. "No excuse. I've got to make that play."

The Rays rallied to take a 3-2 lead, Cabrera delivering an RBI single and Kiermaier — on the night his Outlaw figurine was given out — lacing a two-run homer that, MLB StatCast said, came off his bat at a sizzling 111 mph.

Odorizzi gave back the lead in the fifth. A leadoff single and a one-out walk set up the Royals to convert again, Morales delivering a two-out RBI single and Moustakas an RBI double to make it 4-3 and end Odorizzi's night.

The Royals pushed it to 5-3 as Alcides Escobar came around after reaching on a bounced throw by Cabrera that eluded James Loney. Cabrera has made six errors in 75 chances since July 29 after two before that. "I've got to make those plays," Cabrera said.

That was pretty much the ball game, as the Rays hardly threatened after that, managing only one hit after the fourth inning. "We've just got to play better, plain and simple," Kiermaier said. "We've got to go out there and execute. We've put ourselves in this situation, and now we've got to dig ourselves out. We're going to try to keep our heads held high and come in to work every day. There's still a lot of time left, but we're not going to use that as an excuse. We need to turn it on right now and really get things turned around."