KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Manager Kevin Cash was talking a couple of hours before his Rays resumed post-All-Star break play about the “many different ways” they had won games this season.
They added a new and novel one Friday night in beating the Royals 7-3, taking advantage of Royals starter Brad Keller trying to pitch with a tissue shoved up his left nostril to stem flowing blood.
The Rays had just taken a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning and had two runners on base with one out and No. 9 hitter Brett Phillips at the plate with a 3-1 count when Keller needed to be attended to on the mound.
After several minutes of work by a Royals athletic trainer and conversations with manager Mike Matheny, Keller stayed in the game with the blood flow blocked. It didn’t turn out well.
He threw one pitch and walked Phillips to load the bases. He threw two more and gave up a bases-clearing double to Yandy Diaz that made it 5-1.
The win carried the Rays’ recent hot streak beyond the four-day break, as they won for the seventh time in their last eight games and 12th in their last 17, improving to a season-high-matching 11 games over .500 at 52-41. They hold the top wild-card spot in the American League and have a comfortable lead to be in the six-team playoff field.
“I’d like to think we’re ready,” Cash said before the game. “We had our nice break. Most players really appreciate the All-Star break. And now to get back at it, playing a team that we’re not that familiar with.
“But like to think that the way we headed into the All-Star break, if we can pick up where we left off, that’d be nice.”
Drew Rasmussen worked five innings for the win, allowing just one run but seven hits and a walk, throwing 94 pitches to get the 15 outs. Brooks Raley, Pete Fairbanks, Colin Poche and Shawn Armstrong followed.
The game was played during an oppressive heat wave in the Midwest, with first-pitch temperature at 7:11 p.m. local time at 95 degrees.
