Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon was thinking about what he could have done different as his team entered the bottom of the ninth trailing by four runs. Turned out that a big comeback made it all wasted thoughts.

Sam Fuld hit a game-tying triple and then scored on an errant throw to complete a five-run ninth as the Rays rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 8-7 on Wednesday night.

“At that point, you start replaying (the game),” Maddon said. “We were just fortunate to get some big hits.”

Fuld hit a drive to right center off closer Joakim Soria (5-5) and wound up scoring the winning run when second baseman Johnny Giavotella was charged with an error for a bad relay throw to third.

“It was the craziest 360 feet I’ve ever run,” Fuld said. “I was exhausted.”

After Aaron Crow gave up consecutive singles in the ninth, Soria entered and gave up an RBI double to Evan Longoria, a run-scoring grounder by Ben Zobrist and Casey Kotchman’s RBI infield single before Fuld’s two-out hit. Soria has blown 7 saves in 28 opportunties this season.

“I really don’t know what to say,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said.

Salvador Perez got his first career hit, RBI and made several key defensive plays in his major league debut and Melky Cabrera homered and drove in five runs for Kansas City.

The Royals purchased the contract of the highly-regarded catcher from Triple-A Omaha. The 21-year old had a seventh-inning single in three at-bats and added a sacrifice fly. He also picked Kotchman off first during the fourth and Fuld at third in the eighth.

“He really was spectacular,” Yost said. “He had a great debut.”

Cabrera had a pair of sacrifice flys and extended the lead to 7-3 with a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth off Jake McGee (1-1).

Matt Joyce homered for the Rays. Johnny Damon singled in the ninth to tie George Davis for 65th place on the career hits list with 2,683.

Perez had a stretch starting with two outs in the fifth where he recorded seven straight putouts, coming on two strikeouts and five pop flys.

Royals starter Felipe Paulino allowed one run, three hits and four walks in five innings. He developed back stiffness running earlier this week on the artifical turf and it an impact in his outing.

“It started to tighten up in the third and then it kind of progressively got worse,” Yost said. “He’ll be fine. I don’t anticipate him missing a start.”

Kansas City went up 2-0 in the fourth on a run-scoring triple by Giavotella and Perez’s sac fly off Wade Davis. The duo are among the 15 different rookies to play for Kansas City this season.

Cabrera made it 3-0 on a fifth-inning sacrifice fly. He had another sac fly in the seventh.

Joyce, batting lead-off for the first time in place of Desmond Jennings, who was rested, cut the deficit to 3-1 with a solo shot in the fifth.

Kotchman pulled Tampa Bay within 3-2 on a sixth-inning RBI single. Joyce fouled out to Perez on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded to end the inning.

After Jennings had a one-out pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth, Perez helped preserve the 4-3 lead by picking off Fuld. Greg Holland then struck out Sean Rodriguez.

Davis gave up four runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Bill Miller joined the umpiring crew, filling in for crew chief Derryl Cousins, who missed his second consecutive game because of a personal medical issue.

— Associated Press —

James Shields has even surprised himself about going the distance this season.

Shields threw a six-hitter for his major league-best eighth complete game, Evan Longoria homered and had four RBIs and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 on Tuesday night.

“I didn’t think I was going to get one complete game,” Shields said. “I hadn’t had one since 2008, so I was just hoping for one this year. Fortunately, for me, it’s been a lot. I’m really, really happy with the way I’ve pitched this year and hopefully we can get a couple more here.”

Shields (11-9) also has four shutouts this year. The right-hander is 6-2 in nine career starts against Kansas City.

“James Shields, wow, pretty good stuff,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “Very sharp. He had a great look. Nice tempo and finished it off strongly.”

Longoria drove in two runs on a single during the first and hit a two-run homer in the sixth. He has driven in 12 runs over his last 12 games despite having just nine hits during the stretch.

“Longo getting back on track always makes the Rays a better ballclub,” Maddon said.

Longoria has been bothered by a sore spot on his left foot this season, but Maddon said the ailment is much better.

“It seems to be behind him,” Maddon said. “He looks pretty normal now.”

Jeff Francis (4-12) gave up four runs and five hits over seven innings for the Royals. The left-hander retired 15 in a row after allowing the first three batters to reach base in the first.

“I thought Jeff pitched a great game,” Royals right fielder Jeff Francoeur said.

The game had a three-man umpiring crew because crew chief Derryl Cousins was unavailble due to a personal matter. The time of the contest was 1 hour, 53 minutes — the fastest nine-inning game in Tampa Bay history.

Longoria put the Rays ahead 2-0 with his two-run single in the first. Desmond Jennings was hit by a pitch and Johnny Damon had a bunt single, and both later scored on Longoria’s hit after a double steal.

Shields struck out eight and walked three.

Kansas City had two on and no outs in the third but failed to score when Alcides Escobar popped out on a sacrifice bunt attempt and Alex Gordon grounded into a double play.

Melky Cabrera was caught stealing at second in the fourth after Billy Butler struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch. The next batter, Eric Hosmer, walked and became the first player to steal a base this season with Shields pitching when he stole second.

Kansas City has scored just one run in losing the first two games of the four-game series. The Royals were hitless in five at-bats with runners in scoring position Tuesday and are 2-for-17 over the last two games.

“We had a couple chances to score, but guys like Shields, you get a guy on third and that’s when they become their best,” Francoeur said.

Damon, who entered mired in a 2-for-31 slide, had two hits in four at-bats. The designated hitter, with 2,682 career hits, moved within one of tying George Davis for 65th place on the all-time list.

— Associated Press —