It was another tough day for Chris Archer. One of his best friends on the team was traded and then his opposing pitcher nearly pitched a no-hitter.
Archer gave up three runs and six hits in 7 1/3 innings in the Tampa Bay Rays' 3-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. He struck out six to raise his AL-leading total to 161.
"Not good enough to win," said Archer (5-15), who leads the majors in losses.
Earlier in the day, the Rays traded left-hander Matt Moore to San Francisco just before the trade deadline.
"It was a disappointing, frustrating, emotional day," Archer said. "But I'd probably say that's not the reason we lost the game. That dude (Danny Duffy) was on."
Duffy (7-1) pitched eight innings of one-hit ball and had a franchise-record 16 strikeouts to lead the Royals as they broke the Rays' four-game winning streak. Duffy's chance for the Royals' first no-hitter in nearly 25 years ended when Desmond Jennings led off the Tampa Bay eighth with a line-drive double.
Jennings came off the disabled list Monday after missing all of July with a strained hamstring.
Kendrys Morales' 18th home run, a towering shot over the center field wall, got the Royals on the scoreboard in the seventh.
Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his second save.
Duffy, a 27-year-old left-hander who spent the first six weeks of the season in the bullpen, walked one. He struck out seven in his first trip through the Rays' lineup, and did not allow a baserunner until walking Logan Forsythe to lead off the fourth.
"Duffy had everything going, obviously," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Electric fastball, just a wipeout changeup. Mixed in an occasional curveball. Obviously he gave us a lot of trouble. From the side you could definitely see why."
Zack Greinke had set the Royals' single-game strikeout record at 15 on Aug. 25, 2009. Bret Saberhagen pitched Kansas City's last no-hitter almost 25 years ago.
"It's an honor to have a game like those guys had," Duffy said, "but I understand they had a lot more of those than I did. So I'm really still trying to do as good as I did tonight down the road."
RAYS AT THE TRADE DEADLINE
The last-place Rays traded Moore, OF Brandon Guyer and INF/OF Steve Pearce -- all to teams that were in first place -- on Monday. "We wish we were in that position," Cash said. "Wish we didn't have to do that but we've got to do what's right for the organization today and moving forward."
ROYALS AT THE TRADE DEADLINE
The World Series champions, coming off their worst month (7-19) in four years, did nothing at the deadline. "It's good that we kept the group together. Everybody's happy about that," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "(General manager) Dayton (Moore) looked at some things, but at the end of the day there wasn't anything that's going to make us better. He wanted to stick with this group. He believes in this group."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: RHP Wade Davis rejoined the team to rehab his flexor strain. Davis and the Royals are hopeful he will be able to come off the disabled list when he becomes eligible Aug. 12.
Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) threw another bullpen session and will will get another rehab start at Class A Charlotte on Thursday night.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura will follow his first career complete game, a 3-2 loss at Texas on Thursday, in his 21st start of the season Tuesday night. He has lost five straight decisions.
Rays: RHP Matt Andriese, back in the rotation with the trade of Matt Moore, will make his first start since June 10.
