Royals Report: KC Bombs Boston With 3 Home Runs In 6-3 Win

The Royals won their second straight game by defeating the Boston Red Sox 6-3 Friday night at Fenway Park. Kansas City bashed two home runs and scored five in the first inning to power KC’s win.

The Kansas City Royals improved to 67-61 by winning 6-3 on Wednesday. They remain 6.5 behind AL Central leading Cleveland. Kansas City closed to 3.0 games behind the Orioles for the second AL wild card. Boston fell to  71-57 and dropped one game behind AL East leader Blue Jays.

Kansas City jumped on Boston knuckle-baller Steven Wright for five runs in the top of the first inning. Jarrod Dyson and Lorenzo Cain walked before cleanup hitter Eric Hosmer slammed a three-run shot over the Green Monster with one out. Kendrys Morales singled to center followed by Alex Gordon hitting another bomb over the Green Monster.

Meanwhile, Ian Kennedy pitched out of jam after jam. He still managed to last 5.1 innings while allowing 9 hits, 2 walks, and 2 earned runs with 8 strikeouts. Kennedy escaped a bases loaded situation in the first by allowing only one run. He held the Red Sox scoreless in the second despite runners on first and third with no outs.

Kennedy also managed to hold Boston scoreless in the third despite David Ortiz‘s leadoff double. 

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 Chris Young came into the game with a runner on second and on out in the fifth. He allowed the inherited runner to score on single by Dustin Pedroia, but then notched two outs to continue the bullpen’s scoreless string.

Chris Young, Brian Flynn, Peter Moylan, and Kelvin Herrera finished out the game for the Royals. But, Boston ended the KC bullpen’s scoreless streak at 42.1 innings by scoring a run with two outs in the ninth. The run was charged to Moylan. Herrera notched the final out to earn his tenth save.

Kansas City’s bullpen streak is the longest since the Kansas City A’s in 1966. One thing that makes the Royals feat so impressive is that bullpens are a much more important part of the game than 50 years ago, and thus pitch more high stress innings. That’s much more difficult than pitching in garbage time.

Further, bullpens are now often seven or eight players rather than five. It’s more difficult to get more players on a roll at the same time to shut down opponents.

Next: 5 Reasons The KC Royals Pen Is Shutting Down Opponents

Lorenzo Cain added a solo shot to center with one out in the eighth to score the Royals sixth run.