Junior Caminero keeps making the Rays look dangerous in a hurry, and Tuesday was no different.
Before the Royals could settle in, Seth Lugo had already recorded a strikeout and then watched Jonathan Aranda single in front of Caminero. On the very next pitch, Caminero turned on it and launched a two-run homer to left, giving Tampa Bay an instant 2-0 edge.
It was his sixth straight game with a home run, a run that made him the youngest player to ever do that and moved him past another Jr. - the Griffey kind. Caminero turns 23 on Sunday and already has 76 career homers.
That early punch was enough to set the tone. Lugo recovered after the rough first inning and worked himself into a quality start, but the Royals never found a way to cash in against Shane McClanahan.
The Rays left-hander kept Kansas City mostly quiet over six innings, allowing just three hits and no walks while the Royals sent a few balls to the warning track and into the outfield for loud outs. Tampa Bay was also working with a limited pitch count for McClanahan, and he came out after 69 pitches.
Lugo’s final line told the story of a night where he did enough to hang around, but not enough to escape the loss. He went six innings, allowed nine hits, didn’t issue a walk, struck out six and gave up three earned runs.
The Rays added another run in the sixth when Cedric Mullins lifted a fly ball to right with two outs, a shot that carried just enough to keep drifting until it dropped over the wall. It came off the bat at 98 mph.
Kansas City did have a few moments where it looked like things might open up, only for McClanahan to slam the door. He worked out of multiple innings after the Royals got traffic going, including a couple of double plays that erased potential rallies.
Behind Lugo, Matt Strahm continued his run of clean work. He’s now gone five outings in a row without allowing a run, and over that stretch he’s given up just one hit and two walks across five innings.
Newly arrived Jose Cuas handled the eighth and wasn’t as sharp, though he still got through the inning. Mullins added an RBI single to make it 4-0, then Cuas returned for the ninth and finished that frame without trouble.
The Royals didn’t make real noise until the eighth, when Garrett Cleavinger - the Lawrence, Kansas native - ran into some pressure. Nick Loftin opened the inning with a walk, Tyler Tolbert then popped out on a bunt attempt to first, and Michael Massey followed with a bloop single to put two aboard.
Lane Thomas then struck out on what he believed was a check-swing ball four, ending Cleavinger’s night and bringing in Kevin Kelly to face Bobby Witt Jr. Witt hit a weak grounder to the left side that looked like it might sneak through for an infield hit, but Kelly got there in time and threw him out to end the inning.
Kansas City’s last shot started with Jac Caglianone lining a leadoff single. Kameron Misner, pinch hitting for Starling Marte, then hit what appeared to be an easy fielder’s choice, but Richie Palacios made an error at second and suddenly the Royals had first and second with nobody out. Salvador Perez then grounded into the third double play of the night, and Carter Jensen lined out to center to close it out and end his hitting streak as well.
In Other News...
Royals Just Got The Cole Ragans News They Feared Most
The Royals had already spent months trying to map a path back for Cole Ragans, moving him through rehab work and then sending him to Triple-A Omaha on assignment before the left-hander hit another setback. Even before the latest turn, Kansas City had been forced to manage a battered rotation, with Kris Bubic, Ryan Bergert and Ben Kudrna all already out, leaving the club leaning hard on whatever depth it could find while hoping Ragans could still be part of the picture again.
Instead, the injury drifted from caution to crisis after Ragans did not respond well to bullpen work and was sent for additional medical evaluations. The Royals now have their answer on the next phase of his recovery, and while J.J. Picollo had floated the possibility of a return sometime in the middle part of the year, the clubs focus has shifted to just how much uncertainty one more major elbow procedure adds to both Ragans future and the organizations short-term pitching plans. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Pitching Shuffle Raises New Questions About Two Familiar Arms
The Royals kept their pitching churn going before the Rays game, activating right-handers Jose Cuas and Randy Dobnak while sending Eric Cerantola to Triple-A Omaha. Cuas is back on the major league roster after a minor league deal and a strong run in Omaha, and Dobnak is in line to make his 2026 debut if he gets into a game. To open those spots, Kansas City also moved Kris Bubic to the 60-day injured list and cleared room on the 40-man roster.
For a staff that has already had to adjust on the fly, the shuffle adds another layer of uncertainty around two familiar arms at a time when the Royals can use any stability they can get. Bubics return from a rehab track remains unsettled after he was scratched from a start, and the organization is also sorting out what comes next with the fresh additions of Cuas and Dobnak as the season keeps pressing forward. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Reach A Brutal Midseason Reality Fans Feared
The Royals have spent much of the season living down to the fears that hovered over them in the spring, and the standings now reflect it. They are last in the AL Central, with the offense and pitching both failing to hold up their end, and the result is a midseason picture that looks far more fragile than anyone around the club expected.
Injuries have only made the climb steeper, with several key pieces already sidelined and the roster thin in spots that matter most. That is why the next stretch feels so important for J.J. Picollo, who may have to decide whether to chase help at the deadline or use the situation to reshape the roster in a different direction, with a few familiar names likely to draw attention if Kansas City chooses to listen. [Read more 🡒]