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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Eric Hosmer is glad to be back at Kauffman Stadium after a six-game road trip, where he hit .120 with three RBIs. Lorenzo Cain singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth and Hosmer capped the inning off with a three-run homer as the Kansas City Royals bested the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Monday night.
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Hosmer is 10-for-17 with 10 RBIs on this homestand.
"I feel like I'm really getting a lot of opportunities," Hosmer said. "As a hitter, once you're feeling good and you've got guys on base it's kind of a bonus. I'm coming up in the right opportunities and the right spots."
Alcides Escobar's one-out single started the game-winning rally. Rookie Whit Merrifield, who has hit safely in his first nine career starts, moved him to third with a hit-and-run single. Cain fell behind in the count 0-2 to Erasmo Ramirez before singling on the seventh pitch, scoring Escobar.
Hosmer then took a 1-2 Ramirez offering out to right-center to put this one away.
"I wouldn't say the approach changes," Hosmer said after Cain's single put the Royals ahead. "It definitely takes a lot of pressure off, just knowing the game's not tied anymore, we've got the lead. As a hitter, it gives you the ability to swing a little more free, take some more chances. I just got a good pitch and put a good swing on it."
Ramirez (6-3) retired only one of the five batters he faced.
Kelvin Herrera (1-1) failed to hold a 2-1 lead in the eight, allowing a run on a Steven Souza Jr. single, but picked up the victory.
Rays right-hander Matt Andriese yielded two runs, one earned, in seven innings, while striking out three and walking two.
"I was just out there commanding the zone," he said. "They are a really aggressive team. You can start on the plate and go off the plate as the counts get deeper. But, yeah, they put together some pretty good at-bats, you know, to get a couple runs. Overall it was a decent job."
Royals starter Ian Kennedy allowed just one unearned run in six innings, walking five, striking out six and giving up just three singles in a no-decision.
Kennedy slogged through a 29-pitch first inning, which included a Taylor Motter single and walks to Steve Pearce and Logan Morrison to load the bases. Souza looked at a called third strike to end the inning, however.
The Royals opened the scoring in the second inning. With one out, Kendrys Morales walked and stopped at third on Paulo Orlando's double to left-center, which extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games. Morales scored on Cheslor Cuthbert's ground out to second baseman Pearce.
The Rays tied it with an unearned run in the fourth. Morrison, a Kansas City native who went to nearby Maple Woods Community College, led off the inning with a line drive off the right-field wall. Morrison was held to a single but quickly stole second and took third when catcher Drew Butera's throw skipped into center field. Corey Dickerson's ground out to Merrifield got Morrison home.
In the top of the fifth, Kennedy's control betrayed him as he walked Hank Conger, Evan Longoria and Pearce to load the bases. Kennedy left them loaded as he retired Morrison on a pop up to Escobar on the mound.
Jarrod Dyson manufactured a run in the fifth as the Royals took a 2-1 lead. He singled to center with one out and advanced to second when Desmond Jennings misplayed the ball. Dyson stole third and late scored when catcher Conger's throw sailed into left field.
"Andriese was outstanding," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "He really made an awesome start for us. And their guy Kennedy dialed it in, got his changeup going. We couldn't seem to make an adjustment. A couple of miscues on defense probably didn't help the situation. From a pitching perspective, we're starting to string together some pretty good starts. That's probably the most encouraging out of the loss."
Rays second baseman Steve Pearce left after seven innings with an elbow injury.
"He just kind of tweaked something in the elbow and more or less took himself out of the game, simply because we had a tie ballgame at the time and he wanted to make sure he could make a throw," Cash said. "I think on a check swing it kind of locked up a little bit."
NOTES: Rays RHP Brad Boxberger, who topped the American League with 41 saves in 2015, was reinstated from the disabled list after undergoing adductor surgery in spring training. The Rays placed RHP Ryan Webb (strained right pectoral) on the 15-day DL. ... The Royals entered the game losing nine straight Memorial Day games. Their last victory on the holiday came in 2006 against Oakland. ... Rays SS Brad Miller, who committed a throwing error -- his fourth error in nine games -- in the sixth inning Sunday to end RHP Jake Odorizzi's bid for a perfect, was out of the lineup. Taylor Motter made his fifth start at shortstop. When Miller came in after Pearce exited, he made another fielding error. ... The Royals have won five straight series. ... Orlando is hitting a major league-best .436 (24-for-55) in May. ... Rays LHP Drew Smyly and Royals RHP Dillon Gee are the Tuesday probables. Gee has never faced the Rays.
