The Tampa Bay Rays narrowly missed a combined no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals, allowing a home run to Carter Jensen in the ninth inning. This would have marked the second no-hitter of the 2026 MLB season and the 328th in league history. Despite the near-miss, the Rays secured a dominant 13-2 victory, using a combination of pitchers including Casey Legumina and Ian Seymour who collectively dominated until the ninth inning. The Rays now hold a 45-33 record and trail the Yankees by 2.5 games in the AL East, while the Royals remain in last place at 34-48.

By the Numbers
  • The Rays' last no-hitter occurred on July 26, 2010, by Matt Garza.
  • Ian Seymour pitched 6 鈪� innings without allowing a hit and struck out seven.
Yes, But

While the Rays missed the no-hitter, some analysts argue that combined no-hitters should not be regarded as significant as traditional no-hitters, sparking debate about their place in baseball history.

State of Play
  • The Rays are currently 45-33, holding a wild-card spot in the AL.
  • The Royals, at 34-48, are underperforming and may look to make trades ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
What's Next

As the season progresses, the Rays aim to maintain momentum to challenge the Yankees for the division title while the Royals may begin unloading players to rebuild for the future.

Bottom Line

The Rays solidified their playoff contention with a strong performance, while the Royals face a critical juncture for potential trades as they linger in the last position of the AL Central.