MLB: Tampa Bay 3, Kansas City 0

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- Andy Sonnanstine threw seven shutout innings Saturday to lead the Tampa Bay Rays past Kansas City 3-0.

The young right-hander improved to 10-3 this season, throwing 59 of 85 pitches for strikes and keeping Royals' batters off balance.

Grant Balfour earned his third save, fanning two of the three batters he faced in the top of the ninth.

Akinori Iwamura hit a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth and Ben Zobrist hit a solo homer in the seventh. Zobrist was one of four players with two hits for the American League East-leading Rays, whose winning streak rose to six games.

Mark Grudzielanek had two of the five hits for the Royals, who have dropped six of eight.

Losing pitcher Zack Greinke (7-5) surrendered two earned runs and seven hits in six innings with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.