KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Yandy Diaz didn’t get a hit Thursday night. Jonathan Aranda didn’t knock in a run. And Junior Caminero, for the first time in a week, didn’t hit a home run.

Which made it even more impressive that the Rays won, beating the Royals, 5-2, to extend their winning streak to eight, their longest since starting the 2023 season 13-0.

The Rays improved their American League-leading record to 51-33 and extended their East division lead over the idle Yankees to four games. The teams play a four-game series at Tropicana Field starting Monday.

That the Rays got the bulk of their offense Thursday from the other six in the batting order was important, given how the big three have been doing an outsized share of the work.

The second inning was a good example.

Chandler Simpson reached on a one-out infield single and hustled to second to avoid an inning-ending double play, the bottom three hitters in the order, Taylor Walls, Richie Palacios and Hunter Feduccia, ripped consecutive two-out, run-scoring hits.

It also helped that in the fifth inning Simpson bunted his way on and then Cedric Mullins, continuing his warming trend after an extended slow start, hit a two-run homer, his seventh since the start of June and 10th overall.

Diaz, Aranda and Caminero finished the night a combined 1 for 13, with Caminero’s streak of consecutive games with a homer ending at six, sharing the franchise record with Carlos Peña.

Starter Ian Seymour, who threw 6 2/3 hitless innings in his last outing (on June 25 also against the Royals), allowed a home run to the first batter, Carter Jensen.

But Seymour settled into a good rhythm after that and worked six innings, allowing only two other hits plus one walk while striking out eight.

Relievers Cam Booser (who allowed a solo homer), Garrett Cleavinger and Bryan Baker took it from there, with Baker finishing for his 22nd save.

The Rays logged their majors-most ninth sweep.

The Rays left after the game for Houston, where they open a three-game series against the Astros on Friday

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