Punjab hands Bengaluru another home defeat in Indian Premier League

BENGALURU, India (AP) — Punjab Kings kept Royal Challengers Bengaluru winless at home in a rain-shortened Indian Premier League game on Friday.

Light drizzle reduced the Twenty20 game to 14 overs a side and Bengaluru was in danger of being bowled out for its lowest IPL total of 49 before Tim David's 26-ball unbeaten 50 lifted the home team to 95-9.

Punjab stuttered briefly until Nehal Wadhera smacked three sixes and three boundaries and carried Punjab to 98-5 in 12.1 overs for a five-wicket win.

With a fifth win in seven games, Punjab was second in the table on run rate.

Bengaluru was fourth thanks to four away wins. But it has still to win at home.

Punjab fast bowlers Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett shared five wickets between them. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal bagged 2-11 following 4-28 against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Arshdeep made the first inroads with his short balls when Phil Salt (4) and Virat Kohli (1) fell to pulls.

Wicketkeeper Josh Inglis sprinted to square leg and made a scintillating diving catch to get Salt, and Jansen grabbed a sharp catch of Kohli at mid-on.

Captain Rajat Patidar, one of the only two Bengaluru batters to reach double figures, passed 1,000 runs in the IPL but holed out to long-on as he tried to loft Chahal.

South African left-armer Jansen sliced through the middle order with 2-10 as Bengaluru slipped to 42-7 in the eighth over.

David smashed spinner Harpreet Brar (2-25) for three successive sixes in the last over and completed his half-century with two runs off the final ball after the leg-spinner overstepped and conceded a no-ball.

Brar was on a hat trick when he dismissed Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal but Hazlewood prevented the hat trick and David counterattaked in the final over.

Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed the Punjab openers inside the four-over powerplay as the fast bowlers prospered in damp conditions.

Captain Shreyas Iyer and Inglis added a quiet 20 runs before Hazlewood returned and gave Bengaluru a glimmer of hope with two brilliant short balls.

Hazlewood got the thick outside edge of Iyer’s drive, and two balls later Inglis sliced a catch to third man as Punjab slipped to 53-4 in eight overs.

But Wadhera successfully took on leg-spinner Suyash Sharma to lead the charge, and Marcus Stoinis finished off the game with a six off Dayal.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli walks off the field after losing his wicket during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Punjab Kings' Marco Jansen bowls a delivery during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Punjab Kings' Yuzvendra Chahal, center, celebrates the dismissal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Jitesh Sharma, foreground, during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Punjab Kings' Marco Jansen, left, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Krunal Pandya during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Punjab Kings' Marco Jansen takes the catch of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Punjab Kings' Harpreet Brar, center, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Yash Dayal during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Tim David during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Punjab Kings' Nehal Wadhera celebrates with batting partner Marcus Stoinis after their win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru during the Indian Premier League cricket match at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Punjab Kings' Nehal Wadhera plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Punjab Kings' Nehal Wadhera hits a six during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered to extend his hitting streak to 22 games and had three RBIs, Seth Lugo pitched solid six innings and the Kansas City Royals earned a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays with an 8-2 victory on Thursday.

Vinnie Pasquantino had a single, a double and two RBIs for the Royals, who have won nine of their past 10.

The crowd of 8,794 was the first non-sellout in 22 games this season for the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.

Mikael Garcia hit a line-drive double to center field for the Royals, stole third base and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Massey to tie it 1-1 in the fourth.

Lugo (3-3) gave up two runs and five hits with five strikeouts. Daniel Lynch IV, Angel Zerpa and Chris Stratton each threw a scoreless inning of relief for the Royals.

Shane Baz (3-1) gave up seven runs and nine hits with three walks over 5 2/3 innings and had his ERA increase from 2.45 to 3.86.

Yandy Díaz hit a solo homer in the first for the Rays. Jonathan Aranda added an RBI single in the sixth.

Salvador Perez (hip soreness) left the game in the seventh inning. The 34-year-old catcher was in the lineup at designated hitter, replaced behind the plate by Freddie Fermin. Perez hit an RBI double in the fifth and Fermin had a double, a single and scored twice.

Witt hit a two-out, two-run homer down the line in right field to spark a three-run fifth that gave the Royals a 4-1 lead.

Witt has a hit in 22 consecutive games, tied with Brian McRae (in 1991) for the sixth-longest hitting streak in Royals history.

Right-hander Michael Wacha (1-3, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound on Friday in the first of a three-game series in Baltimore. RHP Dean Kremer (1-3, 7.04 ERA) is expected to pitch for the Orioles.

Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (2-3, 4.24 ERA) is set to face left-hander Max Fried (5-0, 1.19 ERA) on Friday to start a three-game series against the Yankees in New York.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Kansas City Royals first base Vinnie Pasquantino gets Tampa Bay Rays' Chandler Simpson (14) out on a close play during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Díaz jokes with third base coach Brady Williams (4) after Diaz hit a solo home run off Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays third base Junior Caminero catches a pop fly by Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Shane Baz pitches to the Kansas City Royals during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Kansas City Royals' Seth Lugo pitches to the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia steals third base under Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero (13) during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (67) delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. watches his two-run home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane Baz during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)