Royals 4, Rays 2: Jason Vargas took a shutout into the ninth inning and Alcides Escobar recorded a three-run double as Kansas City extended its home winning streak against Tampa Bay to seven games.

Escobar, who was 1-for-19 on the season coming into the at-bat, lined a shot into the left-field corner with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth to give the Royals a 4-0 lead. Vargas (1-0) allowed a run and four hits over eight-plus innings before Greg Holland notched his third save after surrendering a run.

Tampa Bay starter Matt Moore (0-2) left the game with soreness in his left elbow after allowing one run on four hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. Evan Longoria recorded three hits and Ben Zobrist had two, including a solo homer off Vargas in the ninth.

Norichika Aoki (two hits) led off the first inning for the Royals with a triple over the head of left fielder Sean Rodriguez and scored on Eric Hosmer’s one-out single. Moore, who escaped a two-on, none-out jam in the third, grimaced after throwing a pitch to Aoki in the fifth and was replaced by Cesar Ramos.

The Royals loaded the bases in the sixth on singles by Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez and Lorenzo Cain before Escobar’s hit on an 0-1 pitch from Heath Bell. Vargas retired seven straight before Zobrist led off the ninth with his first homer and Matt Joyce added a two-out RBI single off Holland, who struck out David DeJesus to end it.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Kansas City 2B Omar Infante was hit on the side of the face by pitch from Bell in the seventh inning and left the game, walking off under his own power. … Longoria hit his 203rd career double in the second inning, passing B.J. Upton for second behind the franchise’s all-time leader Carl Crawford (215). … The Royals placed LHPs Francisley Bueno (sprained finger) and Tim Collins (left flexor strain) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled RHP Michael Mariot and LHP Donnie Joseph.