Royals snap five-game losing streak with 10-2 victory over Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay ace Blake Snell lasted one out into the fourth inning in his return from a broken right fourth toe as the Rays were beaten 10-2 by the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

The 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, who hurt the toe attempting to move a decorative display in his bathroom on April 14, allowed three runs, five hits, two walks and struck out three during a 65-pitch outing.

The left-hander (2-2) had given up one run and nine hits over 19 innings in three starts prior to the injury.

Adalberto Mondesi hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs, Billy Hamilton had two hits and two RBIs, and Jakob Junis (2-2) gave up one run and four hits in five innings for the Royals, who stopped a five-game losing streak.

Junis bruised his right hand on Yandy Diaz‘s drive that resulted in an inning-ending double-play in the fifth.

Snell, signed to a $50 million, five-year contract on March 21, said Tuesday that he still had some discomfort in the toe when he walks, but not when throwing on a mound.

The Rays decided that Snell was ready to return despite throwing just an 18-pitch bullpen session Saturday and eight pitches off a mound Monday.

Snell was replaced by Ryan Yarbrough with a runner on third and one out in the fourth.

Kansas City greeted Yarbrough with consecutive bunt singles, including Cam Gallagher‘s that drove in a run, and Hamilton’s RBI double that made it 4-1.

Hamilton had a run-scoring triple and Mondesi hit his third homer off Yarbrough to put the Royals ahead 8-1 in the sixth.

Hamilton is 3 for 36 overall against the Rays.

Mondesi added an eighth-inning RBI single.

Tampa Bay went up 1-0 on Joey Wendle‘s RBI double in the first before the Royals tied it during the second when third baseman Daniel Robertson was charged with an error for an errant throw on a slow roller by Hamilton.

Both Hamilton (first base) and Terrance Gore (third base) were both tagged out during rundowns on the same play to end the second with Whit Merrifield batting.

Merrifield homered leading off the third.

ICYMI: Adalberto Mondesi puts the game on ice with a three-run bomb. #AlwaysRoyal pic.twitter.com/PrfH4Hdhdb

— FOX Sports Kansas City (@FSKansasCity) April 24, 2019

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 3B Hunter Dozier (lower back) was out of the lineup for the second straight game but could start Friday.

Rays: RHP Hunter Wood was transferred from the paternity list to the family emergency list and may rejoin the team Friday. Manager Kevin Cash said Wood’s baby was born premature but is fine and being monitored. … Wendle was hit by a Jake Diekman pitch in the sixth and left with a fractured right wrist.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (left shoulder) will make his first start of the season Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels.

Rays: RHP Charlie Morton (2-0) will start Friday night at the Boston. The Rays were swept in a three-game series by the Red Sox last weekend.