Drew Waters, MJ Melendez and Michael Massey each hit a two-run home run on Tuesday to help the visiting Kansas City Royals end a three-game losing streak by beating the Boston Red Sox 9-3 in the second game of a four-game series.
The Royals collected 15 hits and six stolen bases in the victory.
Kansas City’s Brady Singer (8-8) earned the win after allowing three runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He recorded four strikeouts and two walks.
Trevor Story, who had offseason surgery on his throwing elbow, made his season debut for Boston after spending 13 games in the minors on a rehabilitation assignment. Story was hitless in four at-bats and struck out three times.
Boston starter Kutter Crawford (5-6) was pulled with one out in the fourth. He allowed three runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out six.
The Royals opened the scoring in the second inning, when Matt Beaty doubled, took third on a Waters single and scored on Kyle Isbel’s sacrifice fly.
After Waters (3-for-5) hit his seventh home run of the season to increase Kansas City’s lead to 3-0 in the fourth, Boston cut its deficit to 3-2 by scoring twice in the fifth. Adam Duvall hit his 10th home run to make it 3-1 before Alex Verdugo doubled, took third on a groundout and scored on Connor Wong’s single.
The Royals took control with a three-run sixth. Maikel Garcia walked, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout to make it 4-2, and then Melendez hit his 10th home run to stretch the lead to 6-2.
Kansas City added three more runs in the seventh. Isbel’s double drove in Waters to put the Royals up 7-2 before Massey’s 10th home run increased the lead to 9-2.
The Red Sox completed the scoring in the bottom of the seventh when Jarren Duran’s double drove in Verdugo.
–Field Level Media
