ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays got the key hits and outs when they needed. them

Evan Longoria drove in two runs, Jeremy Hellickson went 4 1/3 innings in his season debut, and the Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Tuesday night.

“We have to win these games like this,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “We’re used to doing this in the past. We’re starting to get that feeling back again now.”

The Rays opened the sixth with three consecutive hits, including a two-run single by Longoria off Jason Vargas (8-4), to take a 2-1 lead. Vargas, who allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, was coming off seven innings in the Royals’ 4-0 win Wednesday against Minnesota.

The Royals went 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position, had at least one baserunner every inning, and left 11 on base.

The fourth-place Rays, winners of 10 of their last 13 games, are nine games behind AL East-leading Baltimore.

Hellickson, coming back after arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in January, gave up one run and six hits.

“I was pretty anxious,” Hellickson said. “Had a few butterflies floating around when I was warming up in the outfield. It felt really good to get back on a mound in a big league game.”

James Loney had an RBI double and Logan Forsythe hit a sacrifice fly as Tampa Bay took a 4-1 lead in the eighth. The Rays were aided when Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar fielded Longoria’s grounder with no outs, but was beaten to second base by Brandon Guyer, who had a leadoff bunt single.

“I think Escy thought he was closer to the bag,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Omar (Infante) was standing right on it, and I think Escy thought he was a little closer to the bag. Both guys had pretty good speed. Flip it to Omar and you get one. He was taking a shot at getting two, but he was a step farther than he needed to be on that play.”

Salvador Perez had three RBIs, including a two-run single off Jake McGee in the ninth that pulled the Royals within 4-3. McGee ended the game by striking out Infante with a runner on second.

“Jake didn’t break,” Maddon said.

McGee, the fourth Tampa Bay reliever, went the final 1 1/3 innings for his sixth save. The left-hander entered with two on and two outs in the eighth, and got a flyball from pinch-hitter Danny Valencia.

Kansas City’s Lorenzo Cain reached base five times — four hits and a walk. The Royals went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position through eight innings.

Brad Boxberger (2-1) replaced Hellickson in the fifth with runners on first and third with one out and gave up an RBI grounder to Perez that put Kansas City ahead 1-0.

— Associated Press —

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Back on the mound at Tropicana Field, Kansas City’s James Shield looked and felt right at home.

The right-hander sparkled in his return to the stadium where he earned a living for the first seven seasons of his career, limiting the Tampa Bay Rays to three hits and striking out 10 in seven innings to help the Royals beat his former team 6-0 on Monday night.

No pitcher has had more success at The Trop than Shields, who remains Tampa Bay’s all-time leader in victories with 87, including a franchise-best 47 at home.

“It’s definitely special to come back here,” said Shields (9-4), who was dealt to the Royals in December 2012 as part of a seven-player trade in which Kansas City sent 2013 AL rookie of the year Wil Myers and another top young prospect, Jake Odorizzi (4-8), to Tampa Bay.

“There’s so many memories. I’ve thrown some shutouts here and I’ve also thrown some champagne on the field,” the 32-year-old said. “The fans were great tonight to me, welcoming me back, and that’s always a great feeling.”

Shields allowed singles to Ben Zobrist and James Loney in the first two innings, then worked through a jam in the third after giving up a one-out double to Kevin Kiermaier. He retired 10 straight, six by strikeout, before hitting Evan Longoria with a pitch leading off the seventh.

Alex Gordon and Omar Infante drove in runs in the third inning for the Royals, giving Shields all the offensive support he would need to beat Odorizzi.

“We’ve seen that act before,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said of the performance by Shields. “Wrong uniform this time, though.”

Shields, who had struggled in his three most recent starts, rebounded from allowing five runs and nine hits over five innings of a 10-2 loss at Minnesota last week.

“You could tell right off the bat that, OK, let’s get this guy a couple of runs and let’s ride with it,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “That’s exactly what happened.”

The Royals tacked on two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth — with Infante and Gordon both collecting their second RBIs of the game — and finished with 14 hits.

Wade Davis, another former Tampa Bay pitcher the Royals obtained in the Shields trade, worked a perfect eighth. Scott Downs finished the combined four-hitter, giving up a ninth-inning single to Zobrist.

The loss was just the third in 13 games for the Rays, who were coming off a road trip in which they went 9-2 to climb out of the AL East cellar.

Odorizzi allowed two runs and six hits, struck out eight and walked two in his third career appearance against the Royals, who beat the 24-year-old in Kansas City on April 9.

“All the series we played on the road we played fantastic. I guess we were kind of due for one of these games,” Odorizzi said. “I don’t think this game is really going to set us back that much in the long run.”

Shields won his only previous matchup against his former team 8-2 at Kansas City on April 30, 2013.

He remains Tampa Bay’s career leader in starts, strikeouts and innings pitched, in addition to wins. He won the franchise’s first-ever postseason game and owns the club’s only World Series victory.

— Associated Press —

CLEVELAND (AP) — Terry Francona heard the boos from the home crowd, and the Cleveland Indians manager didn’t mind one bit.

Francona pulled Corey Kluber two outs short of a complete game in Cleveland’s 4-1 win over Kansas City on Sunday. The crowd of 16,991 wanted to see Kluber, who allowed four hits and struck out 10 in 8 1/3 innings, finish the game, and the fans let Francona know they didn’t agree with his decision.

“I don’t blame them,” Francona said. “If I was managing with my heart, I’d have left him in there, too.”

Kluber (8-6) took a three-hitter into the ninth before Eric Hosmer started the inning with a double. The right-hander, who gave up a solo homer to Mike Moustakas in the fifth, was removed after striking out Salvador Perez.

Kluber also heard the boos and used the opportunity to take a good-natured jab at his manager.

“Kip (second baseman Jason Kipnis) was giving him a hard time, too,” he said. “It was pretty funny, I guess.”

Cody Allen recorded the final two outs for his ninth save, and Carlos Santana and Yan Gomes homered in a three-run second inning.

Kluber, who walked one, retired the first seven hitters before Jarrod Dyson’s infield single with one out in the third. Lorenzo Cain also had an infield hit in the sixth.

Kluber has been Cleveland’s ace all season. He has four double-figure strikeout games.

“It sure is nice, man, to write his name in there,” Francona said. “He has weapons, he has poise, and he competes.” Francona said.

Kluber is working to stay on an even keel throughout the season.

“I’m trying to be as consistent as I can from start to start,” Kluber said. “I try to avoid the downs as much as possible and keep the good stuff rolling.”

Kluber rarely shows any emotion on the mound, but Francona thinks appearances can be misleading.

“He’s very locked in,” Francona said. “Maybe his demeanor belies the real fire that’s in there. He gets after it.”

Even Moustakas, who walked in the seventh and is 7 for 18 against Kluber, was impressed.

“Everything he was throwing was nasty,” he said.

A lack of run support has kept Kluber from having a better record. He allowed three runs over 20 2/3 innings in his last three starts, but lost twice. Kluber held the Dodgers to one run in 6 2/3 innings on Monday, but was the losing pitcher in a 1-0 defeat.

Both of Cleveland’s home runs came off Danny Duffy (5-8). Santana led off the inning with a line drive that barely cleared the fence in right. Gomes followed with a two-run homer to center.

Michael Brantley, who went 2 for 4 to raise his average to .321, had an RBI single in the fifth.

Santana’s homer came on a 1-1 pitch and was his 13th of the season, tying him with Brantley for the team lead. Ryan Raburn followed with a single, and Gomes hit his 10th home run on a 1-0 pitch.

Cleveland has won four of five and moved within two games of second-place Kansas City in the AL Central. The Royals, who trail first-place Detroit by 4 1-2 games, dropped their first road series since losing two of three against the Los Angeles Angels from May 23-25.

Duffy allowed 10 hits and struck out six in six innings. The left-hander had a 1.69 ERA in six June starts and was 3-1 with a 1.05 ERA in his last four road starts.

The Indians placed leadoff hitter and center fielder Michael Bourn on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Bourn has been battling the injury all season and hurt it again running the bases on Saturday.

Left fielder Alex Gordon and designated hitter Billy Butler, who are both in lengthy slumps, were out of Sunday’s lineup. Gordon is mired in a 3 for 40 skid, and Butler has just three hits in 26 at-bats.

— Associated Press —

CLEVELAND (AP) — For someone who just endured a beer bath, T.J. House was all smiles.

House allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings for his first major league win and the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 on Saturday night.

House’s teammates celebrated the occasion by dousing him with beer, something the rookie left-hander didn’t mind one bit.

“I got rolled into this little cart and they gave me a shower,” he said. “It was nice. I enjoyed it. I’d take one every time we get a win.”

House (1-2) scattered nine hits, struck out three and didn’t walk a batter. He was making the eighth appearance, and seventh start, of his career.

“It feels great,” House said. “I hadn’t had one yet, but the time came and it was the right time, at home in front of the fans.”

Michael Bourn’s leadoff homer sparked a three-run third inning while Nick Swisher’s bases-loaded single scored two runs in the fifth and finished Jeremy Guthrie (5-7).

Michael Brantley had three hits, including an RBI single in the eighth, for Cleveland.

Bourn left the game after scoring the Indians’ final run because of tightness in his left hamstring. He had surgery on the hamstring in October and began the season on the disabled list. Bourn also missed several games in May with the injury.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona said Bourn was examined following the game.

“We’ll know a lot more (Sunday),” Francona said.

House gave up a run in the first, another in the sixth and Danny Valencia hit a leadoff homer in the seventh. But House retired the next two hitters then was pulled after throwing 87 pitches.

Kansas City loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth against closer Cody Allen, pitching in a non-save situation. Allen struck out Lorenzo Cain on a 3-2 pitch before Eric Hosmer swung at the first pitch and bounced into a game-ending double play.

“I think I had Cain in swing mode because he swung at ball four,” Allen said. “I was trying to use Hosmer’s aggressiveness against him because he was trying to tie it up right there.”

House, taken in the 16th round of the 2008 draft, began the season at Triple-A Columbus. He made five starts with the Indians from May 23-June 14 before being sent back to the minors. He was recalled a week ago and lost to Seattle on Sunday against Felix Hernandez, a game in which the Indians were held to one hit.

“He’s pitched well enough to have a win before now,” Francona said. “He’s shown he can get major league hitters out. He’s got a lot of poise out there.”

Hosmer’s RBI groundout in the first gave Kansas City the lead.

Bourn’s third homer of the season tied the game. Jason Kipnis put Cleveland ahead with an RBI double and Lonnie Chisenhall added a run-scoring single.

Kansas City added a run in the sixth, but House struck out Billy Butler with two runners on to end the inning.

“He did a nice job of limiting the damage and threw the ball very well,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Every time we got something going, he found a way to put an end to it.”

Cleveland loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth before Swisher, who was batting .193 and struck out in his first two at-bats, lined a 1-2 pitch to right-center. The hit pushed the lead to 5-1 and gave Guthrie his shortest outing of the season. The right-hander was charged with six runs and allowed a season-high 11 hits in four-plus innings.

Chisenhall was 2 for 3 and raised his batting average to .342, but he doesn’t have enough plate appearances to be listed among the league leaders. Cleveland’s third baseman is making a strong push to be named to the American League All-Star team, which will be announced Sunday. Chisenhall is hitting .350 (55 for 157) with nine homers and 36 RBIs in 44 games since May 14.

— Associated Press —

CLEVELAND (AP) — Yordano Ventura’s dominating performance Friday night produced plenty of superaltives.

“He was extraordinary,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said after the rookie right-hander pitched 8 1/3 stellar innings in the Royals’ 7-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Ventura (6-7) blanked the Indians on four hits until Michael Brantley hit a leadoff homer in the ninth. He was pulled after Jason Kipnis’ one-out single. Ventura allowed six hits and struck out four in the longest outing of his career.

Indians center fielder Michael Bourn had one of the hits off Ventura, a double in the eighth.

“Well he throws 100 (mph), first of all,” Bourn said. “He has a good changeup and a good curveball. We had a couple chances but for the most part he was on tonight.”

Mike Moustakas, who hit a three-run homer in the sixth gave Kansas City a 5-0 lead, was also impressed with Ventura.

“He’s got such electric stuff,” Moustakas said. “That’s what he’s capable of doing.”

Salvador Perez and Christian Colon, making his first major-league start, had three hits apiece while Lorenzo Cain snapped an 0 for 11 skid with an RBI single in the third and a run-scoring double in the fifth.

The Royals, who are a major league-best 11-2 on the road since June 2, rode Ventura to their latest win away from home. He retired the first 10 hitters before Brantley singled with one out in the the fourth. Carlos Santana’s single moved Brantley to third, but Kipnis bounced into a double play.

Ventura entered the ninth with 103 pitches, making it an easy decision for Yost to let him start the inning.

“I wanted to throw the complete game shutout, but I couldn’t do it,” Ventura said through teammate Bruce Chen, who translated for the pitcher, “I was getting ahead of the hitters early in the game. They made some really good plays behind me and that gave me a lot of energy.”

Ventura, who finished with 113 pitches, came within two outs of recording Kansas City’s first complete game of the season.

“I wasn’t going to take him past 120 pitches,” Yost said. “After the home run it was like, OK the next guy who gets on that’s it. He pitched very well.”

Josh Tomlin (5-6), coming off a one-hit, no-walk, 11-strikeout performance against Seattle, allowed five runs and 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Moustakas’ homer to right on a 3-2 pitch broke the game open. The rally began on singles by Perez and Alcides Escobar.

Colon, a late addtion to the lineup when second baseman Omar Infante was scratched with lower back tightness, was 3 for 4, including a triple in the second for his first major league hit. Colon added a double in the fifth and an RBI double in the ninth.

“That was a lot of fun,” he said. “I was taking my ground balls (in pregame activities) and was told I was going to play.”

Ventura has allowed three runs in 21 innings in three career starts against Cleveland. He held the Indians to one run in seven innings in a 4-1 win on June 11 in Kansas City.

Ventura gave up two runs and seven hits in four innings Los Angeles Angels in his last start, an outing that was cut short by a four-hour rain delay. He had pitched seven innings in each of his previous three starts.

The Royals, who are second in the AL Central, are 3-1 on a nine-game road trip and lead third-place Cleveland by four games.

The Indians, who opened a 10-game homestand, have lost four straight at home after winning 11 of 12 at Progressive Field. Cleveland was swept by Detroit in a three-game series June 20-22.

Tomlin turned in the best performance of his career against the Mariners last Saturday. He retired the first 12 hitters before allowing a leadoff single to Kyle Seager in the fifth, Seattle’s only baserunner. Tomlin’s gem marked the sixth time an Indians pitcher recorded 11 strikeouts with no walks in a shutout over the past 100 years.

It was also only the third time since 2002 that a pitcher has recorded a one-hit shutout with at least 11 strikeouts and no walks.

Kansas City left fielder Alex Gordon was hitless in four at-bats and is in a 2-for-36 slump.

Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was 0 for 4 and is in a 4 for 35 skid.

— Associated Press —