St. Petersburg, FL -- (Sports Network) - Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer and finished with five runs batted in, as the Tampa Bay Rays crushed the Kansas City Royals, 11-2, in the opener of a four-game set from Tropicana Field.

Carl Crawford went 3-for-5, scored three times and had two RBI for the Rays, who have won five straight, including a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox, and nine of their last 10 overall. Edwin Jackson (5-6) took the win as he lasted eight frames and gave up two runs -- only one earned -- on four hits while striking out two and walking one.

"That was huge for us tonight coming off a series like that," Jackson said. "Definitely this year the confidence is the highest I've seen it."

Mark Grudzielanek had a solo home run for the Royals, who have dropped three of four. Mark Teahen scored for Kansas City, while Brian Bannister (7-8) was dealt the loss after he was touched for seven runs -- six earned -- on eight hits in five innings of work.

Runners were on the corners as Akinori Iwamura led off the home first with a double and Crawford followed with a single. B.J. Upton kept it going with a sac fly to center and, with Pena batting, Crawford stole second and moved to third as John Buck's throw sailed into the outfield. Pena belted an RBI single and Evan Longoria's double put runners on second and third. Cliff Floyd then offered a sac fly to right, and it was 3-0 Rays.

Pena's sac fly in the third inning scored Upton and gave Tampa Bay a 4-0 cushion.

The Rays made it 7-0 in the fifth inning. Crawford clubbed a two-out single and took second on a balk. Upton followed with a walk before Pena cleared the bases with a three-run homer over the fence in center field.

A Grudzielanek homer in the seventh cut the deficit to 7-1.

"We squared a few up, but not many," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "We just didn't have a good game, it wasn't a good day."

The Royals put another run on the board in the eighth inning. Teahen belted a one-out single and Ross Gload made it first and third with another base hit. Dioner Navarro was charged with a passed ball, which scored Teahen and moved Gload to second.

Tampa Bay tacked on some insurance runs in the home eighth. Navarro singled and pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes worked a walk to chase Jimmy Gobble in favor of Robinson Tejeda, who uncorked a wild pitch to advance both runners.

Reid Brignac then earned a free pass, which loaded the bases, and Iwamura grounded into an RBI force out after a 10-pitch at-bat. Crawford kept it going with a two-run single and moved to second on the throw. Upton lined out, but Pena hit a high pop up, which Tejeda misplayed, allowing Crawford to come around, and it was an 11-2 ballgame.

Game Notes

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Rays are the first team other than the Yankees or the Red Sox to lead the AL East in July or later since 2000, when the Blue Jays held the top spot through games of July 6 before finishing third...Royals outfielder David DeJesus went 1-for-3 to run his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games. He is hitting 26-for-65 with 16 RBI in that time... The Royals and Rays are meeting for the first time this season after Kansas City won four of seven last year. The clubs split four games in Tampa in 2007.