All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 15-4 win over the Royals, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Price better, but not nearly good enough: Following his abysmal start against the Yankees last Sunday when he allowed a career-high five homers, Price had nowhere to go but up. But he didn't exactly make up for his recent stinker. After the Red Sox scored four runs in the top of the fifth to erase a 3-0 hole Price had dug for the Sox, he allowed the tying run to score. But it wasn't just surrendering the lead soon after he got it; it was how he did so. Price, who had hit two batters all year, proceeded to plunk three batters in the span of four batters, tying a major league record. That prevented him from completing the fifth inning and cost himself the chance of earning the victory. But that wasn't Price's only issue. He was unable to put Royals hitters away, needing 30 pitches, for instance, just to get through a rough third inning. And when he was lifted, he had thrown 102 pitches to record just 14 outs. Yes, he did rack up nine strikeouts -- in fact, his last six outs were all recorded via strikeout -- but his lack of command, diminished velocity and inefficiency served to highlight his problems.
Sox finally come through with the bases loaded: Remember earlier in the year when the Red Sox were belting grand slams left and right? Well, they haven't hit one in a long time. Moreover, they haven't done of much of anything when they've loaded the bases. That changed in a big way Saturday night, however. In the fifth inning, as the Sox were attempting to climb out of a 3-0 hole, Xander Bogaerts cleared the bases -- with two outs, no less -- by blasting a double to the gap in right-center. Then, two innings later, after the Royals had come back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, the Sox snapped the tie with a sacrifice fly from Mitch Moreland, but then got plenty of breathing room when Christian Vazquez drove a single into left with the bases loaded, scoring two more runs and sending the Sox into to yet another blowout win.
Injuries mar win: After the victory, the Red Sox announced that catcher Christian Vazquez broke the pinky finger on his right (throwing) hand. Vazquez will be placed on the DL, with Sandy Leon taking over as the Sox' primary catcher, backed up by Blake Swihart. The injury came in the seventh when Vazquez stole second base head-first, jamming his hand into the bag. An MRI on Monday will determine how long Vazquez will miss. In another somewhat ominous development, reliever Joe Kelly was removed from the game in the eighth inning after experiencing some dizziness. After covering first base on a play, Kelly could be seen walking back to the mound and suddenly clutching his chest some. He walked off under his own power and will be further re-evaluated Sunday.
SECOND GUESS: It's not easy being Ned Yost these days. His team had lost seven in a row and 19-of-22 coming into Saturday night. But Yost erred in the ninth inning when he opted to bring in catcher Drew Butera to finish out the game. It's understandable that a manager doesn't want to further deplete his bullpen in a blowout game, but if you bring a position player in to pitch -- and Butera had made a handful of appearances on the mound -- you'd better have someone who can throw the ball over the plate. Butera couldn't and issued three straight bases-loaded walks, turning the ninth inning into an unwatchable mess for all and a (further) embarrassment for the Royals.
TWO UP
Andrew Benintendi: Benintendi barely swung the bat in his first four plate appearances, working four walks, but made up lost time later in the game with a solo homer in the eighth and a run-scoring double in the ninth. He reached base all six times, knocked in two runs and scored four.
Mookie Betts: Betts created offense at the top of the order all night, with two doubles, two singles, a stolen base and two runs scored.
TWO DOWN
Jackie Bradley Jr. Bradley went 0-for-6, making two outs in the ninth inning, and saw his batting average (.198) dip below the .200 mark again. Bradley's bad luck knows no bounds -- he lined out hard, twice, to his former college teammate Whit Merrifield, including against catcher Drew Butera in the ninth.
Rafael Devers: Devers was 1-for-4 with an RBI and two walks, but committed yet another sloppy throwing error, his league-leading 18th of the season.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It's a big hit for us.'' Alex Cora on the news that catcher Christian Vazquez suffered a broken right pinky finger and is going on the DL.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- David Price set a franchise record and tied a major league record by hitting three batters in the same inning.
- The Red Sox reached double figures in runs scored for the fourth time in the last seven games.
- The Sox improved to 33-17 on the road.
- Red Sox catchers have not allowed a stolen base in the last 15 games.
- Sandy Leon, who was not in the starting lineup, managed to collect two hits -- both in the ninth inning.
