The Boston Red Sox allowed eight runs over the seventh and eighth innings on Sunday afternoon, and fell 13-5 to the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Boston loses yet another series, dropping three of four in trying to stay in the run for the final American League Wildcard Playoff spot.
Kansas City (44-65) jumped up 2-0 in the third inning against Boston starter Kutter Crawford, getting one on a balk and another on an RBI single by MJ Melendez. Melendez struck again in the fifth with a three-run homerun to right center for a comfortable 5-0 advantage. A solo homer by Rafael Devers in the sixth, and a two-run shot by Tommy Pham in the seventh pulled the Sox within 5-3. After that, things really fell apart for Boston. Back to back triples both hit to centerfield in the last of the seventh against Jon Schreiber made it 6-3. The first one was lost in the sun by Jarren Duran, while the second one that was out towards the wall Duran jumped too early and the ball went off his glove. Melendez drove in the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly. Three straight walks to start the last of the eighth did in Darwinzon Hernandez as the Royals scored six times, helped by a two-run single by Michael Massey and a two-run double by Kyle Isbel. Melendez finished off a huge day with another RBI sacrifice fly.
Crawford (3-4) was tagged in the loss giving up five runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Hernandez ended up being charged with five earned runs on one hit with four walks without recording an out in the eighth inning. Pham had two hits and three RBI to lead the offense, and Reese McGuire added two hits as well. Brad Keller (6-12) earned the victory on the hill for Kansas City allowing one run on four hits in 6.0 innings. Melendez had two hits and six RBI, Isbel two hits and three knocked in, while Massey also had two hits and two RBI. Boston is now 54-56 on the season, and will have Monday off before opening up a two game interleague series with Atlanta at Fenway Park on Tuesday. The Red Sox currently sit five games back of Seattle for that final wildcard spot. Rich Hill (4-5, 4.52 ERA) will toe the rubber in the opener against the Braves, as Atlanta counters with Charlie Morton (5-5, 4.09).
