How one sequence proved costly in KC Royals loss to Tampa Bay Rays on Independence Day

The Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays capped the annual Fourth of July festivities with a fireworks display of their own at Kauffman Stadium.

The teams combined for 18 runs on Thursday night, as the Royals fell behind early and nearly pulled out a late comeback at home. But the Rays held on for a 10-8 victory to earn the series win.

And one key moment made the difference.

The Royals trailed 9-4 in the sixth inning. The Rays had sent Royals starter Alec Marsh to the clubhouse early and looked primed to leave Kansas City with a blowout win.

Marsh allowed five earned runs in his outing. But, in true Royals fashion, a home crowd of 28,358 fans were treated to a near photo finish.

“The boys battled today, especially with me coming out there and putting us in a hole early,” Marsh said. “The offense showing what they can do and staying in that game the whole time is just a testament of what we have been doing all year.”

The Royals did damage against a leaky Rays bullpen. After scoring three runs earlier in the sixth, the Royals had a chance to take a late lead. Third baseman Nick Loftin got aboard following a two-out error. Later, Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. singled as Loftin advanced to third base.

The Rays were on the ropes as Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino stepped to the plate with a chance to rearrange the scoreboard.

Unfortunately, Pasquantino wouldn’t get the chance. Witt was thrown out attempting to steal second. It was a critical risk that didn’t pay off.

“I was trying to get the extra 90 feet and get in scoring position,” Witt said. “One of our best hitters was behind me and so I was just trying to get into scoring position for him. I got a pretty OK jump. So yeah, I just probably should’ve been better in that situation.”

Royals manager Matt Quatraro didn’t fault Witt for his aggressiveness.

“(Rays catcher Ben Rortvedt) made a great throw and put it right on the money,” Quatraro said.

The Rays escaped the inning with a two-run lead. They would add an insurance run to improve to 44-43 on the season.

Five Royals players registered at least one RBI, but KC ran out of gas late. The Royals finished with a 6-4 record in their 10-game homestand.

KC fell to 48-41.

Missed previous games of the series?

Game 1: Royals fall 5-1 to Rays after lengthy rain delay at The K

Game 2: Michael Wacha shines as Royals even series against Rays

Here are more notables from Thursday’s game:

Alec Marsh struggles early against Rays

Marsh didn’t have his best command on Thursday. He labored in the first inning as the Rays drove up his pitch count.

The Rays worked two walks to begin the game and both free passes proved costly. Marsh was also hindered by two violations (disengagement and pitch timer) that moved runners up an extra base.

As a result, Marsh allowed two runs to score. Rays star Randy Arozarena recorded an RBI groundout and outfielder Josh Lowe followed with a two-out RBI double.

“Felt out of sync a little bit,” Marsh said.

Marsh escaped further first-inning damage. However, the Rays lineup became too difficult to navigate efficiently. Marsh allowed a solo home run to outfielder Jonny DeLuca in the second inning.

Later, DeLuca recorded an RBI single to effectively end Marsh’s outing. The Royals turned to their bullpen as reliever Carlos Hernandez pitched the fourth inning.

“I hadn’t had one pitch violation all year and that happened,” Marsh said. “After that happened, I could tell I wasn’t in it completely, you know, from a mental standpoint. Just things started speeding up and didn’t even see the clock there or even the pickoff at second base.

“... Those are the things that just hurt us and those runs end up scoring. I’ve got to do a better job and make those adjustments.”

Marsh dropped to 6-6 with the loss. He threw 75 pitches and recorded one strikeout — Lowe in the third inning — to his ledger.

Michael Massey belts 8th home run

The Royals inserted second baseman Michael Massey back into the defensive alignment against the Rays. It was his first time returning to his natural position after returning from a low back strain in June.

Prior to Thursday’s game, Massey operated only as a designated hitter. Even with the added responsibilities, he still made a difference at the plate.

In the second inning, Massey hit a solo home run off Zach Eflin. He grooved an 84.4-mph changeup over the right-field wall to record his eighth homer of the season.

What’s next on the KC Royals’ schedule?

The Royals begin a weekend series with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. On Friday, KC southpaw Cole Ragans will make his 19th start.

Ragans posted a 3.28 ERA in six June starts. He allowed 13 runs and struck out 43 batters in 35 ⅔ innings during that span.

The Rockies will start fellow lefty Kyle Freeland in the series opener. Freeland, who recently returned from a left elbow strain, has a 1.64 ERA in two home starts.