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Final Score: Tampa Bay 1 - Kansas City 6

Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Billy Butler finished 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and four runs driven in, as Kansas City topped Tampa Bay, 6-1, in the finale of a four-game set with the Rays.

Kyle Davies (4-2) was efficient in five-plus innings of work, as he allowed one run on six hits and a pair of walks. The Royals bullpen threw four innings of scoreless relief, as the club earned the series split but wrapped up a seven-game homestand with a 2-5 mark.

David DeJesus doubled twice and drove in a run, while Mike Aviles finished 2- for-4 with a solo homer. Kansas City outfielder Jose Guillen was held out of the lineup because of a left groin injury, which he aggravated in Saturday's contest.

Andy Sonnanstine (10-6) surrendered five runs on eight hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings, and took the loss for a third straight start.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena each collected a pair of hits for the Rays, who had won the past two games of the series and are 4-4 over their past eight games. Carl Crawford had the only RBI for Tampa Bay, which saw its lead over Boston shrink back to one game in the AL East. The Red Sox beat the Yankees on Sunday night. New York is three games behind the Rays.

"There's something to be said about rallies in baseball and we're not rallying," Pena said. "We're not taking advantage of that momentum and scoring some runs when the rally seems apparent."

The Royals gained an edge in the first when Aviles clubbed a one-out solo homer to left-center field. In the fourth, DeJesus and Butler stroked consecutive doubles to lead off and plate another run for a 2-0 Royals lead.

Aviles got on base in the home fifth with a two-out single and scored on another DeJesus double.

Tampa Bay got one run back in the sixth. B.J. Upton led off with a walk and stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. Crawford's single to right field easily brought the runner home to make it a 3-1 game.

Longoria followed with a double to put runners on the corners with no outs, signaling the end of Davies' day. Ron Mahay entered and got three straight outs to escape the jam. The Rays went down in order in the top of the seventh against Mahay, and Butler's homer gave the Royals some cushion in the bottom half.

Esteban German hit a one-out double, and after Aviles hit a fly out, Sonnanstine walked DeJesus intentionally before being lifted for Al Reyes. German swiped third base before Reyes let loose a wild pitch, letting DeJesus advance to second.

Butler then turned on a slightly low and inside fastball, on a full count, slugging it into the left field stands to give the Royals a 6-1 lead. Leo Nunez threw a scoreless eighth, while Joakim Soria was perfect in the ninth to end the game.

"I feel like I'm a better later-count hitter," Butler said. "The more pitches I see the better timing I get and the more I feel like I have on the pitcher. At that point in the at-bat, I saw every pitch he had, so I felt comfortable."