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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Brad Miller will likely make a transition to first base in the next few days after recently acquired infielder Matt Duffy returns from a rehab assignment. And while the position switch has made Miller a little frustrated, his bat continues to be a source of pride.
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Miller hit a three-run homer off Joakim Soria in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Rays to a 3-2 win against the Kansas City Royals at Tropicana Field on Thursday.
"I thought we played a great game," Miller said. "We hung around and gave ourselves a chance in the late innings. [Drew] Smyly pitched great. I'm excited I'm driving the ball and I'm going to continue to try to be consistent with it."
Soria, who entered the game in the eighth, put the first two batters he faced on base when he gave up a hit to Logan Forsythe and walked Kevin Kiermaier. Soria battled back to strike out third baseman Evan Longoria on a full count but Miller ripped a 1-1 pitch to right field for his 19th home run of the season.
"I was trying to get a groundball for a double play," Soria said. "I threw a changeup down in the zone and he got the barrel of the bat on it. It wasn't a bad pitch."
Going into the inning, the Rays had been held to just one hit behind a strong performance from Ian Kennedy, who struck out nine over six innings.
"[The loss] is frustrating to all of us," Kennedy said. "We know what these guys are capable of. But I know our guys are too good to be splitting the series after we are ahead and getting swept in four games in Texas."
Rays starter Drew Smyly kept up, giving up two runs and striking out 10. Smyly threw just 95 pitches in seven innings for Tampa Bay (44-63).
"All my pitches were on," Smyly said. "I was locating them well and mixing them in and out, throwing a lot of strikes. When I am throwing my curveball for strikes and the action on it is a little better, same with my cutter, it makes my fastball better."
Smyly's one mistake came in the top of the fourth inning when he gave up a two-run homer to left fielder Alex Gordon. Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer scored on the play. The Royals had an opportunity to do more damage with a runner on in the fifth but Kiermaier robbed Hosmer of an extra-base hit with a diving catch in deep center field.
"That was one of the more athletic plays I've seen this year," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "He's made a lot of spectacular plays this year but that was one of the best."
Kansas City (51-57) loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth against Rays reliever Brad Boxberger but Boxberger struck out Gordon and catcher Salvador Perez to end the threat.
"Bases loaded with one out, a tack-on run there is huge," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "But we couldn't put the ball in play.
The Royals got a couple of hits off Rays closer Alex Colome but he struck out third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert with runners on second and third to end the game.
Boxberger earned the win, his first of the season, while Colome got his 26th save.
GAME NOTES: Royals DH Kendrys Morales is appealing his one-game suspension and batted in the fourth spot Thursday. Morales was suspended for coming on the field to argue with the umpire after being ejected Tuesday. He will be allowed to play until his appeal is heard or dropped. "In the seventh inning, I struck out with what I thought was a ball," Morales said to MLB.com through an interpreter. "I came back [in the clubhouse] and I saw [the replay]. In the ninth inning, I let him know that the pitch I got called out on was a ball. I was very cordial and respectful. In that same at-bat [in the ninth], another pitch was called a strike that was a ball. When I went back and saw [the replay], I went back out and said something." ... Rays RHP Alex Cobb will be making his fourth rehab start of the year for Single-A Charlotte on Thursday night. Cobb threw two scoreless innings for Charlotte on Friday. ... Rays INF Matt Duffy, recently acquired from the Giants, will also start in a rehab start at Single-A Charlotte where he is expected to play six innings at shortstop. ... The Rays claimed C Bobby Wilson off waivers from the Texas Rangers and optioned Curt Casali to Triple-A Durham.
