In a game marked by misplays and general sloppiness -- including a combined four errors and seven wild pitches -- the Red Sox found a way to outlast the Kansas City Royals, claiming a 9-8 victory in 10 innings. Eduardo Nunez, who had homered twice earlier in the game, capped a nine-pitch at bat when he delivered Sandy Leon with the game-winning run on a groundout to short.
The victory snapped the Royals' nine-game winning streak and gave the Sox their ninth victory in extra innings this season.
Newcomer Nunez banged out two homers and enjoyed a three-hit night, while Christian Vazquez also had three hits (single, double, triple) and two RBI.
Boston started Eduardo Rodriguez lasted just four innings, needing 107 pitches to record the game's first 12 outs. Five Red Sox relievers were needed to cover the final five innings.
Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield recorded the first four-hit game of his career and knocked in two runs. Lorenzo Cain contributed one of the shortest homers in Fenway history when his three-run shot in the fourth landed inches past the right field foul pole.
The Sox trailed by two after six, but clawed back with solo runs in the seventh and eighth - both on sacrifice flies.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
* It would be an understatement to label Eduardo Rodriguez as "inefficient'' tonight. He's through after four innings, which required 107 pitches. Rodriguez issued three walks and fanned five, but seemed to get to full counts on every other hitter.
- Lorenzo Cain might have hit what is literally the shortest homer in Fenway history. The right field foul pole is listed at 302 feet from home plate, and Cain's three-run homer landed inches beyond that, just beyond the reach of outfielder Mookie Betts.
- Eduardo Nunez has taken to Fenway quite nicely in his first two games as a member of the home team. He's reached base in five of his first six plate appearances with two singles, a double, a solo homer and a walk to go with a groundout.
- For the last few days, John Farrell has been saying that he's seeing better swings for Xander Bogaerts in batting practice. Until tonight, that hasn't transferred into his game at-bats. But Bogaerts, who came into Saturday just 1-for-21, has a walk and two singles, evidence that he may finally be breaking out of his slump, which actualely dates back a few weeks.
- The Sox understood that there would be growing pains with Rafael Devers at third base, and this game has been evidence of that. On a perfectly routine grounder by Alcides Escobar to lead off the sixth, Devers double-clutched with a throw to first, then bounced in past Mitch Moreland for a two-base error. Later in the same inning, he tried to bare-hand a slow roller by Whit Merrifield, only to have the ball skip past him for an infield single.
- In the original lineup, Xander Bogaerts was going to be given the night off with newcomer Eduardo Nunez getting the start at short. But that was before Dustin Pedroia's left knee began acting up, necessitating a switch. Pedroia sat, Bogaerts was inserted into the lineup and Nunez shifted over the second. "There are days when (the knee) will act up a little bit,'' said John Farrell, "and we've got to spend some time with some treatment and get past some of the discomfort he's going through. I would hope that one day would be enough to get it back to the level where he's in the lineup again (Sunday).''
- Doug Fister, who is taking David Price's turn in the rotation, will start Monday with Chris Sale going Tuesday. "That will (mean he's pitching on his sixth day),'' said Farrell. "The next two times through the rotation will be on five days.''
- As noted by Tim Britton of the Providence Journal, Mookie Betts has 24 infield popups since June 13; no other player has more than 24 infield popups for the entire season. "I think he's been out front on a lot of pitches,'' Farrell said. "Maybe he's trying to drive the ball a little too much. Is that another way of describing possibly pulling off (pitches)? Yeah. It's timing-related, no doubt about it. When he's a little more relaxed and not over-swinging as much, you see the hard contact and line drive stroke that he's known for.''
- RHP Joe Kelly will throw a live batting practice session Monday, with a goal toward beginning a rehab assignment a few days later. RHP Carson Smith is also nearing a session in which he'll face hitters.
