Errors Pile Up in Royals 6-3 Loss to Red Sox

The Royals defense was one of the strengths of the team for much of the season. However, the Royals have made at least two errors in three of their past four games. Those mistakes cost them again tonight, as the Boston Red Sox took a 6-3 victory over the Royals.

Liam Hendriks got the start for the Royals, and was victimized by the defense early. With a runner on second and two outs, Christian Vazquez hit what appeared to be an easy ground ball to first to end the inning. Instead, it went through Eric Hosmer‘s legs, plating a run to give the Red Sox an early lead.

Kansas City came back in the bottom of the inning. With two out, Lorenzo Cain doubled, bringing Alcides Escobar to the plate. Escobar hit a popup that second baseman Jemile Weeks was unable to track down, tying the game. Escobar then stole second, reaching third on Nori Aoki‘s infield hit. Mike Napoli attempted to catch Escobar off third, but his throw sailed wide, allowing the Royals to take a 2-1 lead as Escobar trotted home.

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That lead was short lived. The Red Sox loaded the bases with one out, and Mike Napoli walked to force in a run. Will Middlebrooks singled to plate the go ahead run, as the Red Sox took a 3-2 lead. That proved to be all for Hendriks, as the Royals attempted to use their bullpen to remain in the game.

For the most part, the Royals were able to do just that, scoring an unearned run int he fourth while the Royals got a run on Cain’s RBI single in the sixth. The score remained 4-3 until the top of the eighth, when Weeks hit a two out, two run double to give the Red Sox a 6-3 advantage, proving to be the final margin of victory.

Hendriks took the loss, allowing three runs two earned, on four hits and two walks in his 2.1 innings of work. As impressive as he was in his first outing in Kansas City, he has been equally brutal since, allowing five runs in his last 6.1 innings.

Cain and Aoki each had two hits in the loss.