Maier helps Kansas City Royals beat Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 after Shields loses no-hitter in eighth

Royals’ offense comes alive late in win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — John Buck ended James Shields’ bid for a no-hitter with a leadoff single in the eighth inning, Mitch Maier drove in three runs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Sunday.

Shields dominated the Royals before Buck’s hit started a two-run inning. Pinch-runner Ryan Freel advanced all the way to third when catcher Dioner Navarro made an errant throw to second on Alex Gordon’s fielder’s choice. Maier then drove him in with an infield single that gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead.

Gordon stole home later in the inning when Maier got involved in a rundown.

Brian Bannister (7-7) gave up five hits and struck out seven over seven scoreless innings for the Royals, who won for the first time in nine games against Tampa Bay this season. Joakim Soria, who allowed a homer to Ben Zobrist in the ninth, pitched the final two innings to pick up his 18th save.

Maier kept the game scoreless by throwing out B.J. Upton trying to score on Evan Longoria’s single to center in the sixth. He tacked on a two-run single in the ninth.

Shields (6-8) allowed two runs and two hits over 7 1-3 innings to drop to 0-3 in eight starts since beating New York Mets ace Johan Santana 3-1 on June 20. He struck out six and walked four.

There has never been a no-hitter in 940 regular-season games at Tropicana Field. The Rays have not thrown a no-hitter in their 1,884 regular-season games overall.

Shields allowed just one baserunner — a two-out walk to Yuniesky Betancourt with two out in the third — through five innings.

The Rays put runners on second and third with one out in the second but Bannister struck out Navarro and got Jason Bartlett to pop up to end the inning.

NOTES: Gordon is the first Royals player to steal home since Mendy Lopez on May 31, 2003. … Kansas City designated RHP Sidney Ponson for assignment and plan to bring up RHP Kyle Davies from Triple-A Omaha to start Wednesday’s game against Seattle. … Royals RHP Gil Meche, out since July 12 with a lower back strain, had his minor league rehab start for Class A Wilmington rained out. … Tampa Bay OF Fernandez Perez (left wrist surgery) is getting close to starting a minor league rehab assignment. … Kansas City OF Mark Teahen (lower back tightness) was held out of the starting lineup. He popped out as a pinch hitter in the eighth.