Wade Davis outduels Zack Greinke, Evan Longoria homers in Rays’ 1-0 win over Royals

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Wade Davis outduels Greinke, Rays beat Royals 1-0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Wade Davis beat Zack Greinke in a scintillating pitchers’ duel, and Evan Longoria homered to lift the Tampa Bay Rays over the Kansas City Royals 1-0 on Sunday.

Davis (3-1) allowed three hits, three walks and struck out five in seven innings during his latest matchup with an American League ace. The right-hander has faced the opposing team’s opening day starter — including New York Yankees lefty CC Sabathia and Boston’s Josh Beckett — in all five of his starts this year.

Greinke (0-3) gave up four hits in his 10th career complete game and first this season. The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner, who has yielded just three runs over 22 innings in his last three starts, struck out six and hit a batter with a pitch.

Tampa Bay, which has won 15 of 19, split the four-game series with the Royals.

Longoria put the Rays ahead in the fourth with his sixth homer. He had been hitless in 10 at-bats against Greinke before a first-inning single.

After Randy Choate and Dan Wheeler combined for a perfect eighth, Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Kansas City put a man on second in four innings against Davis, who worked out of trouble by holding the Royals to 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

Greinke dropped to 0-4 in 10 games — including seven starts — against Tampa Bay. The Rays are the only AL opponent the right-hander has never beaten.

NOTES: All of Greinke’s losses to Tampa Bay have come at Tropicana Field. … Rays LF Carl Crawford was rested. He entered in the ninth as a defensive replacement. … Royals SS Yuniesky Betancourt went 0 for 3 and is hitless in his last 19 at-bats. … Longoria is 16 for 35 during a nine-game hitting streak. … The Rays went 6-3 during a nine-game homestand.