By MATT PIKE
Carter Jensen extended his hit streak to 20 games, Bobby Witt Jr hit two home runs, but Junior Caminero homered for the fifth straight game and the Tampa Bay Rays rolled to a 10-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Jensen extended his hit streak in his very first at bat of the game, giving the Royals an early lead hitting a solo home run to right field. In the third inning though, the Rays scored six runs in the top half, highlighted by Caminero's three run home run after he earlier in the day that he would participate in the All-Star Home Run Derby. The home run came after Jonathan Aranda's RBI single scored Nick Fortes to tie the game, the home run driving in Aranda and Yandy Díaz.
Ryan Vilade added a home run of his own on the very next pitch and Ben Williamson capped the scoring in the top half of the inning with an RBI single, driving in Jonny DeLuca, to give the Rays a 6-1 lead. In the bottom half of the third, Witt Jr hit his first home run of the game, a two run shot bringing home Isaac Collins to cut the lead in half. But, in the fifth inning, Tampa extended the lead again with a two RBI single from Fortes, scoring Williamson and Taylor Walls, to make it 8-3.
The Rays capped their scoring in the sixth inning, the first run scoring on a wild pitch from reliever Eric Cerentola, as Vilade came home to score. A bases loaded walk to Walls brought home DeLuca for the final Tampa run, before Kansas City added their final run in the eighth inning on Witt Jr's second home run, a solo shot to center field.
Cameron, who fell to 4-6), gave up five runs in five innings against Tampa Bay last week, and allowed six on nine hits and three walks in 3.2 innings this time around. The Central alum has struggled as of late allowing 21 earned runs over his last four starts covering just 18 innings. At the plate, Witt Jr. was 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI's. Jensen was 1-for-4 with the home run and an RBI. Collins and Lane Thomas both had doubles for the only other Royals hits.
Kansas City and Tampa Bay continue tomorrow. Seth Lugo (3-5, 4.18 ERA, 69K's) will try to bounce back from a dismal start last week against Tampa Bay, when he allowed seven runs on seven hits and two walks in just five innings, and he will be countered by Shane McLanahan (6-5, 3.30 ERA, 73K's) who will try to snap a three-game skid when he makes his fourth career start against Kansas City. First pitch is at 6:40pm, pregame at 6 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.