The Tampa Bay Rays were on the cusp of a combined no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals on June 25, 2026, but a late two-run home run by Carter Jensen in the ninth inning spoiled the effort. Craig Kimbrel, a former closer, surrendered the homer with two outs remaining in the Rays' decisive 13-2 win at Tropicana Field.
This near no-hitter would have been the second in Major League Baseball this season, following a combined effort by three Houston Astros pitchers against the Texas Rangers on May 25. The last single pitcher to achieve a no-hitter was Blake Snell in August 2024.
The Rays had not thrown a no-hitter since Matt Garza accomplished the feat against the Detroit Tigers in 2010. The team's latest attempt was spearheaded by a strong pitching performance.
Casey Legumina opened the game for the Rays, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings on just 14 pitches. Ian Seymour followed, delivering seven scoreless innings and striking out a season-high seven batters. Seymour's outing lowered his earned run average from 4.98 to 4.32.
Kimbrel entered the game in the ninth inning. He issued a leadoff walk to Starling Marte before Jensen hit a two-run home run. Despite the setback, Kimbrel retired the subsequent two batters to secure the Rays' victory.
Beyond the pitching, the Rays' offense was potent, scoring 13 runs on 15 hits. Junior Caminero contributed significantly with three home runs, continuing his role as a key player in the team's lineup at 22 years old.
The win allowed the Rays to salvage a four-game series split with the Royals. They were positioned 2 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East standings, awaiting the outcome of the Yankees' game against the Boston Red Sox. The Rays were scheduled to host the Arizona Diamondbacks for an interleague series beginning Friday night.