ST. PETERSBURG Ketel Marte Jersey , Fla. (AP) — Blake Snell added to a run of top-notch pitching by the Tampa Bay Rays.The All-Star left-hander helped Tampa Bay match a team record with 27 consecutive shutout innings, and the Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1 on Tuesday night.“This pitching staff, I think, is very, very talented,” Snell said. “I’m not surprised. Guys can pitch, they come in compete and work every day.”The scoreless stretch ended when Snell (15-5) allowed a fifth-inning solo homer to Ryan O’Hearn.Snell struck out 11 and gave up four hits in six innings. The left-hander has 13 straight home starts of allowing one earned run or fewer, which is longest stretch in the majors since 1913, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.“I like being at home http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-greinke-jersey , I don’t like going on planes or buses,” Snell said with a smile. “I don’t know what it is. I feel very comfortable here.”Tampa Bay has a 1.89 ERA over the last 11 games.“We’re doing it with a lot of young pitchers,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Blake did his thing. Another dominating performance. I like where Blake’s going.”Since returning from a stint on the disabled list for left shoulder fatigue Aug. 4th, Snell is 3-0 and has given up two earned runs over 20 innings in four starts.“He’s not an All-Star by accident,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.O’Hearn has five homers in 14 career games for the Royals, who dropped to 50 games (38-88) under .500.Tampa Bay’s Tommy Pham had three hits, an RBI and a walk but left in the eighth after dislocating his right ring finger diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt. He’s day to day.“I thought I broke it,” Pham said. “My finger was pointed the other direction. Got lucky.”Willy Adames had three hits and put the Rays up 1-0 on a homer off an overhanging catwalk in the second that left fielder Alex Gordon nearly made a diving catch on. The effort would have been in vain if Gordon caught it because Tropicana Field ground rules state a ball hitting that catwalk is an automatic home run.Gordon was OK after going over the short wall down the left-field line trying to catch Brandon Lowe’s fifth-inning foul ball.Joey Wendle made it 3-0 with a two-run triple off Glenn Sparkman (0-2) during the fourth.Sparkman gave up three runs and seven hits over four innings in his second career start.Sergio Romo pitched the ninth for his 17th save, working out of a two-on http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-greinke-jersey , one-out jam.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: Yost said LHP Danny Duffy, placed on the 10-day DL on Aug. 13th, is “pretty much on track” to start Thursday night. … RHP Ian Kennedy (left oblique strain) could start a minor league rehab assignment next week. … OF Jorge Bonifacio was a late scratch with lower back tightness.Rays: 3B Matt Duffy, hitting .202 over his previous 25 games, was rested. Duffy was limited to three minor league games in 2017 following Achilles tendon surgery. “We’re getting to the dog days of the season, that’s something I’ve got to recognize,” Cash said. … LHP Vidal Nuno (right hamstring) allowed three hits in three scoreless innings for Class A Charlotte.RARE COMPANYSnell joined Hall of Famer Bob Gibson (1968) as the only pitchers since 1920 with at least 160 strikeouts and fewer than 35 runs allowed through 24 starts, according to Stats LLC.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Jakob Junis (6-11) will face Rays reliever Ryne Stanek (1-3) in a bullpen game Wednesday night. Junis is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in two appearances against Tampa Bay. The St. Louis Cardinals will be sorry to see the calendar page change.The Cardinals completed a major league-best 22-6 August with a 12-5 victory over the visiting Reds on Friday night. The only time the Cardinals have had a better August was in 1944 (23-4) and that team won the World Series.St. Louis has posted the most wins in the majors since the All-Star break (28) and remains atop the National League wild-card standings. The Cardinals trail the Chicago Cubs by 3 1/2 games in the National League Central Division.Article continues below ...Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong homered for St. Louis Friday night and rookie Austin Gomber improved to 5-0 after giving up two runs on 10 hits in seven innings.Gomber allowed two runs on four straight singles in the first inning before settling in.“To kind of lay an egg in the first inning – I feel like I let them hit me in in the face,” Gomber told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’ve always been taught you come out swinging and don’t be the first one to get hit in the face.”He got the runs back with a two-run double as part of a four-run St. Louis second.Reds starter Homer Bailey’s struggles continued. He allowed seven runs — three earned — in five innings while falling to 1-13 with a 6.13 ERA on the season while surrendering his 22nd and 23rd home runs. The Reds have lost 18 of his 19 starts.“He’s come back from injury http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-greinke-jersey ,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He’s getting closer and closer to what he can be. As he goes through it, he’s not getting away with anything. Hitters are all over his stuff.“He’s had a combination of back luck and hitters hitting his mistakes.”Right-hander Daniel Poncedeleon (0-0, 2.08, one save) will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis to start Saturday’s game for the Cardinals. In his last start, on Aug. 21 against the Dodgers, he allowed a run on five hits over four innings in a St. Louis win.He burst into the majors on July 23 with seven no-hit innings against the Reds before being lifted after throwing 116 pitches.Right-hander Luis Castillo (7-11, 5.07) starts for Cincinnati. He’s struggled in August, going 1-3 with a 5.57 ERA. In his last start, he allowed five runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings in a loss to the Cubs. It was his shortest outing since April 27.“They were on him pretty good Andrew Chafin Jersey ,” Riggleman told the Enquirer after the game. “I just didn’t feel like it was any use to waste ammo having him just throw pitches for the sake of throwing pitches. It just wasn’t working today.”Castillo has not faced the Cardinals this season and is 0-3 with a 4.55 ERA in five starts versus them in his career.Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said injured outfielder Marcell Ozuna (shoulder) likely will come off the disabled list on Saturday.“As to what his role would be, I’m not sure exactly,” Shildt told the Post-Dispatch, “but he will be activated in all likelihood (Saturday).