By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Despite fireworks from Bobby Witt Jr on Independence Day, the Kansas City Royals could not keep up with the bats of the Tampa Bay Rays, falling 10-8 on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals fell behind 4-0 early on in the game, the biggest blow coming on a solo home run from the Rays Jonny DeLuca. Kansas City cut into the lead though in the bottom of the second inning, a solo home run from Michael Massey soaring 399 feet to right field.
Tampa would extend the lead in the third inning, DeLuca singling to score Brandon Lowe, but the Royals would again answer in the bottom half with two runs, a sacrifice fly from Witt Jr and a single from Vinnie Pasquantino driving in the runs.
After giving up five runs, the Royals would pull starting pitcher Alec Marsh to start the fourth inning, bringing on Carlos Hernandez, who would pitch a scoreless fourth inning, but disaster struck in the fifth.
Three more runs from the Rays would push the lead to 8-3, the Royals would score one run in the bottom half of the fifth, but Tampa would add another run in the sixth, a solo home run with two outs from Brandon Lowe.
Trailing 9-4, the Royals would have a big inning of their own in the bottom of the sixth, three runs being driven in by Hunter Renfroe, Garrett Hampson and Nick Loftin. But leading by just two runs the Rays would score their final run in the seventh inning.
The Royals would not score again until the bottom of the ninth, their final run coming on a solo home run from Witt Jr with two outs. The game would end on a ground out from Pasquantino.
Witt Jr led the way hitting for Kansas City, going 3-for-4 at the plate and driving in two runs. Marsh suffered his sixth loss of the season giving up five runs on six hits, walking three and striking out just one through just three innings.
Kansas City will now turn its attention to the Colorado Rockies traveling to Denver on Friday. Cole Ragans is slated to open the three game weekend series, taking on the Rockies Kyle Freeland seeking his first win of the season. First pitch is at 7:10pm with pregame at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).