Salvador Perez’s two-run home run was what won the game for the Kansas City Royals, but fully appreciated in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field was a dominating night for the bullpen. Kiermaier barely beat the throw to third with a slide and gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead by scoring on Desmond Jennings hit an RBI groundout to shortstop. The amount of the fine wasn’t disclosed.
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Morales was scheduled to serve the suspension Thursday when the Royals play the final game of a four-game series with the Rays, but he appealed the ruling and was in the starting lineup.
“He had a big year in the minor leagues last year, this year maybe got off to a little bit of a slow start”, manager Kevin Cash said.
Giants GM Bobby Evans repeated over the week that the price to acquire relief pitching was exorbitant and it would have taken a piece off the major league roster – Joe Panik, presumably – to pry Andrew Miller away from the New York Yankees. Duffy hit.295 with 12 home runs and 77 RBIs last season for the Giants, but had been struggling this season -.253, four home runs, 21 RBIs – before being injured. He is the first Twins player with a three-home run game since Justin Morneau in 2007.
Nationals 14, Diamondbacks 1 • Daniel Murphy had three hits, scored three times and drove in a run, and Stephen Strasburg allowed one run in six innnings to improve to 15-1 as Washington rolled on the road.
Strahm was called up from Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Sunday after Kansas City placed Wade Davis on the disabled list with a flexor strain. The 27-year-old had given up at least four runs in five straight starts, but has been better in his last two outings with three tallies allowed in 12 innings.
Edinson Volquez (8-9) will make his team-leading 23rd start for the Royals on Wednesday night against Jake Odorizzi (5-5), who is working on a steak of 14 2/3 scoreless innings for the Rays.
“I don’t know why he left (Cedeno) in, but I’ll take it”, said Perez.
Duffy might be the most popular Giant to be traded since 1996, when Brian Sabean, as a rookie GM, sent All-Star third baseman Matt Williams to the Cleveland Indians.
Duffy said Skeeter is too large and Tampa Bay is too humid. The Rockies recalled infielder Rafael Ynoa from Triple-A Albuquerque.
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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).
