ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Alberto Callaspo hit a two-run double in the 11th inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Saturday night.
Rays reliever Lance Cormier (2-1) got the first two batters out in the 11th before loading the bases on a single and two walks. Callaspo then doubled down the right-field line, scoring Scott Podsednik and Alex Gordon to give Kansas City the lead.
Robinson Tejeda (2-2) threw three scoreless innings for the Royals, who beat Tampa Bay for the second consecutive game. Joakim Soria worked out of a jam to earn his seventh save.
Ben Zobrist and Evan Longoria opened the 11th with singles off Soria, putting runners on first and second. The Royals closer then ended the game by striking out Carlos Pena, B.J. Upton and Pat Burrell, sending the AL East-leading Rays to just their fourth loss in 18 games.
Tampa Bay's David Price gave up two runs and four hits in six innings. The tall left-hander, coming off a four-hit shutout against Toronto last Sunday, threw 110 pitches.
Royals starter Kyle Davies also went six innings, allowing two runs and three hits. The right-hander struck out six and walked five.
Yuniesky Betancourt had an RBI groundout and Chris Getz drove in a run with a bunt single as Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the second. The Royals had just one baserunner — David DeJesus reached on a fifth-inning error — against Price over his final four innings.
Tampa Bay pulled within 2-1 on Reid Brignac's run-scoring single in the second, then tied the game in the third when Carl Crawford scored on Longoria's double-play grounder.
Crawford also made a sliding catch in left during the eighth to take a hit away from DeJesus.
Notes
Royals RHP Zack Greinke (0-2, 2.56 ERA), Sunday's scheduled starter, is winless over his first five starts. The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner is 0-3 with a 4.24 ERA in nine games against Tampa Bay, the only American League team he has not beaten. … Rays RHP Wade Davis (2-1) has a simple approach about his start Sunday against Greinke. "I'm not facing him," Davis said. "I'm facing hitters." … Kansas City OF Rick Ankiel (strained right quadriceps) was out of the lineup for the seventh straight game. He struck out as a pinch hitter in the 10th. … Tampa Bay C Dioner Navarro stopped an 0-for-22 slide with a seventh-inning double.