He had allowed only one baserunner before Jennings’ hit when Logan Forsythe walked on a 3-2 pitch leading off the fourth Monday night.
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Kansas City Royals’ Kendrys Morales, right, reacts in front of Tampa Bay Rays catcher Luke Maile after hitting a home run off starting pitcher Chris Archer during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“There’s been a number of occasions when Danny’s stepped on the mound and I said this might be the night”, Ned Yost said.
“It’s an honor to have a game like those guys had”, Duffy said, “but I understand they had a lot more of those than I did”.
The Rays’ Chris Archer matched zeroes into the seventh inning, but ended up giving up three runs.
Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain drove in runs in the eighth for the Royals, who won for only the second time in 10 games. “I could feel it coming out of my hand really well [in the bullpen], but I don’t really put my foot on the gas in the bullpen until like the last three pitches; I’m trying to keep the reserves as long as I can for outings like this”.
Strasburg (15-1) allowed a run and three hits in six innings, striking out six and walking two. Tampa Bay snapped a four-game win streak.
The Royals (50-55) seek to continue their momentum against a Rays team that dealt away three players at the trade deadline – left-handed starter Matt Moore went to the San Francisco Giants, utilityman Steve Pearce returned to the Baltimore Orioles and outfielder Brandon Guyer was shipped to the Cleveland Indians.
“Duffy had everything going, obviously”, Rays’ manager Kevin Cash said. “It’s good that we kept the group together”.
The Royals’ last no-hitter came almost 25 years ago, when Bret Saberhagen no-hit the White Sox on August 26, 1991. The Royals made no moves at the trade deadline, having made one roster move Sunday, putting RHP Wade Davis on the disabled list with a flexor strain and recalling LHP Matt Strahm from Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) threw another bullpen session and will will get another rehab start at Class A Charlotte on Thursday night.
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Anthony Rizzo finished a home run shy of the cycle and reached base five times, and Addison Russell had a two-run single in the first off wild Marlins starter Adam Conley (7-6).
