Freddy Fermin, Royals look to capture series against Rays

The Kansas City Royals started their six-game swing through the American League East with a win Tuesday night in Tampa against the Rays, tallying their seventh victory in the past eight games.

After that 3-1 victory, the Royals could capture their third consecutive series on Wednesday in the middle game of the three-game set.

Much of the credit for the club getting back to .500 after an 8-14 start to the season goes to catcher Freddy Fermin, the backup to team captain Salvador Perez, according to Perez himself.

On Tuesday, Fermin went 3-for-4 with an RBI, managed a Royals pitching staff that made just one major mistake all night and did it all while overcoming being hit on the index finger of his throwing hand while attempting to bunt.

“He’s the best,” said Perez, who had an RBI double in the first inning while drawing the start at first base. “He prepares himself every day to compete. He was ready today, and you see what happened.”

The Royals’ offense lacked explosion — Perez’s double was the lone extra-base hit to go with seven singles — but manager Matt Quatraro said he likes what his club is doing and can win in a number of ways.

“The guys in that room care about winning,” Quatraro said. “They don’t care if we win 1-0 or 11-10. We’re going to win some high-scoring games, we know that. This is a crazy game, and at some point we’re going to break out of (the low scoring). But right now, to win games is all we care about.”

With left-hander Cole Ragans hampered by a mild left groin strain, Quatraro will send out lefty Noah Cameron, the organization’s No. 5 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, for his major league debut in a spot start.

“There’s a lot to like about him,” said Quatraro of the 25-year-old Cameron. “He’s got good stuff. He’s got good poise. We think he can get righties and lefties out. He’s physical.”

Rays manager Kevin Cash said his squad could get no momentum going Tuesday as its five-game winning streak ended, but he was impressed by cleanup hitter Junior Caminero, who went 3-for-4 with a homer and a double.

“He had a big night,” Cash said of the 21-year-old Caminero, who is batting .266. “Hit a bunch of balls hard, just missed a ball to right, smoked a ball out to center.”

After receiving a seven-inning, two-run outing from Taj Bradley on Tuesday, the Rays will start right-hander Drew Rasmussen (1-1, 2.10).

The reliever-turned-starter has been a mostly reliable performer all season for Tampa Bay, tossing five-inning starts on four occasions and taking one outing two outs into the sixth on April 18 in a 1-0 loss to the New York Yankees.

However, Rasmussen is coming off his worst start so far — five innings in Arizona in which the Diamondbacks scored four runs on five hits, including a solo homer by Tim Tawa.

In four appearances against Kansas City — two starts, two in relief — Rasmussen is 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA, totaling 10 hits, 16 strikeouts and three walks in 12 2/3 innings.

–Field Level Media