ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay native Jac Caglianone felt right at home on Tuesday night. Playing in front of family and friends at the stadium where he grew up watching baseball, the Kansas City Royals rookie blasted two home runs and drove in three runs to power the Royals to a dominant 12-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Caglianone, the Royals’ sixth-overall draft pick in 2024 out of the University of Florida, continued a scorching-hot June. He kicked off the night with a towering, 443-foot solo shot in the first inning, and followed it up in the fifth with a 416-foot, two-run blast. The performance marked his third multihomer game of the month. Caglianone has now launched six home runs in his past five games, bringing his season total to 14. His nine home runs in June tie him with Nick Kurtz of the Athletics for the most in the American League this month.
His fifth-inning blast was the centerpiece of a four-run frame that broke the game open, putting Kansas City ahead 6-2. The Royals’ offense didn’t stop there, racking up 14 hits on the night. Infielder Nick Loftin turned in a spectacular performance of his own, going 4 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs. A five-run explosion in the eighth inning extended Kansas City’s lead to a commanding 12-2 before the Rays tacked on three cosmetic runs in the bottom of the ninth.
On the mound, Luinder Avila (3-3) earned the win with a strong performance. Avila silenced the Rays’ bats, allowing just three hits and one run over five innings while striking out six. Four Royals relief pitchers combined to finish the job.
Conversely, it was a tough night for Tampa Bay ace Shane McClanahan (6-5). McClanahan was tagged for six runs over six innings, though the Rays’ defense didn’t help him; four of those runs were unearned.
With the loss, the Rays continue a rough stretch in the midst of their season-long 10-game homestand, having dropped eight of their last 11 games. The skid leaves them three games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the competitive AL East.
Up Next
The three-game series continues on Wednesday night. The Royals will send left-hander Noah Cameron (4-4, 4.20 ERA) to the mound, while the Rays will look to bounce back behind right-hander Griffin Jax (2-5, 3.67 ERA).
