Vargas lowers ERA to 1.01 as Royals shut out the Rays
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jason Vargas isn’t setting a season-long goal of allowing an average of one run a start. Yet that’s where he is at after seven outings.
The major league ERA leader went seven more scoreless innings, Salvador Perez had a two-run double during a five-run eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-0 on Thursday.
Vargas (5-1) allowed three hits and dropped his ERA from 1.19 to 1.01.
“It hasn’t been done very often in this sport,” Vargas said. “It’s a nice thing to see when you’re able to have good starts and put your team in a good position to have success at the end of the game.”
It’s the lowest ERA in the majors (at least 30 innings pitched) at the end of play on May 11th since Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez (0.93) in 2010. The last AL pitcher to be this low was the Royals’ Zack Greinke (0.51) in 2009.
Jorge Bonifacio hit an RBI single off Diego Moreno in the decisive eighth inning before Whit Merrifield had a run-scoring single and then circled the bases when center fielder Kevin Kiermaier misplayed the hit for a three-base error.
Merrifield also homered for the Royals, who won three of four against the Rays. Kansas City had lost 13 of 16 entering the series.
Jake Odorizzi (2-2) gave up one run and four hits in six innings for the Rays. He had allowed three hits or fewer in each of his previous four starts.
Tampa Bay went 3-6 during a nine-game homestand against Miami, Toronto and the Royals. All three opponents are well under .500.
“We’ve got some guys that are having a rough time on offense, on defense, on the mound,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Merrifield put the Royals up 1-0 on a solo shot in the fourth.
Vargas made two nifty defensive plays during the fifth. He fielded Kiermaier’s slow grounder down the first base line and tagged out the speedy outfielder, and also caught Derek Norris’ liner.
Rays left fielder Corey Dickerson took a home run away from Eric Hosmer in the first by reaching over the short wall by the 315-foot mark near the line and catching the drive.
Kansas City center fielder Alex Gordon took an extra-base hit away from Tim Beckham with a diving catch in the sixth. Gordon made his 932nd outfield start, but first in center.
There was no carry over one day after Perez was hit by Chris Archer’s pitch in the seventh inning of the Rays’ 12-1 win Wednesday night. Perez felt Archer was throwing at him, while Archer said there was no intent.
Blue Jays 7, Mariners 2
TORONTO — Steve Pearce hit a three-run home run, Justin Smoak had a solo homer and finished with four RBIs, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Mariners, snapping Seattle’s win streak at four.
Marco Estrada (2-2) allowed two runs over six innings for the Blue Jays, who have won four of five.
Smoak went 3 for 3 with a walk against his former team. He had an RBI single in the first, walked in the fourth, singled home two runs in the fifth, and connected off rookie Sam Gaviglio in the seventh.
Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer but Seattle’s offense came up empty after the first inning.
Astros 3, Yankees 2
NEW YORK — Defensive replacement Jake Marisnick made a perfect throw from left field to nail Jacoby Ellsbury at the plate for the final out and the Houston Astros held off the New York Yankees in a matchup between teams with the best records in baseball.
Unbeaten Dallas Keuchel (6-0) became the first six-game winner in the majors, helped by a home run from Carlos Correa. The Astros won their fourth in a row and improved to 24-11 — their top mark after 35 games since the franchise began playing in 1962.
Ken Giles wound up with his 10th save in 11 tries, saved by Marisnick.
Ellsbury’s single with two outs in the ninth inning put runners at the corners, and then the fleet leadoff hitter stole second. Gary Sanchez followed with a sharp RBI single to left and Marisnick, who came into the game in the seventh, fired a strike to catcher Brian McCann to get the sliding Ellsbury.
Carlos Beltran and McCann were quiet in their return to Yankee Stadium, the former New York power hitters going hitless in seven at-bats for Houston. The Astros didn’t need much hitting behind the bearded Keuchel.
Keuchel kept up his resurgence, striking out nine in six innings. He earned the AL Cy Young Award in 2015, but dipped to 9-12 last season. Overall, he’s won eight straight dating to last August, matching a career high.