The Red Sox grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second Sunday. After that, it was all downhill.
The Kansas City Royals outscored them 6-1 the rest of the way and secured a 7-3 victory, taking the weekend series from the Sox.
Nathan Eovaldi allowed four runs over just four innings and the Royals pounded the Boston bullpen for three more runs in the sixth inning.
The Red Sox also lost two players with injuries, as Kevin Plawecki left with a hamstring strain and Christian Arroyo with a bone bruise below his right knee.
WHO: Red Sox (43-28) vs. Kansas City Royals (31-38)
WHEN: 2:10 p.m.
WHERE: Kauffman Stadium
SERIES TO DATE: 1-1
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (7-3, 3.76) vs. LHP Mike Minor (5-4, 4.63)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Arroyo 2B
Verdugo LF
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Renfroe RF
Hernandez CF
Dalbec 1B
Plawecki C
ROYALS
Merrifield RF
Santana DH
Perez C
Mondesi SS
Gutierrez 3B
Dozier 1B
Dyson LF
Taylor CF
Lopez 2B
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:B
T8: Perhaps the last best chance for the Sox -- bases loaded, one out -- slips by as Marwin Gonzalez hits into an inning-ending double play.
B6: Yacksel Rios hangs a slider down and in and Merrifield doesn't miss it, belting a two-run homer to left and expanding the Royals' lead to four.
B5: Collision between Hernandez and Christian Arroyo in shallow center, and Arroyo appears to have injured his right knee. Arroyo limps off the field and it doesn't look good.
T5: Red Sox have been the best two-out team in the game, but not this afternoon. Over the last two innings, they've had runners at the corners in both, but couldn't produce a run.
T4: Red Sox waste a first-and-third opportunity. With Christian Vazquez replacing Kevin Plawecki, Vazquez grounds out, stranding two.
B3: Jarrod Dyson wears out Eovaldi over the course of an 11-pitch at-bat before finally lining a double to left-center, scoring two runs.
B3: Inability to turn the double play on a comebacker for Eovaldi proves costly as, with the next batter, a run-scoring single from Salvador Perez to CF scores Merrifield from second.
T3: A gift triple for J.D. Martinez, as right fielder Whit Merrifield misplays the ball in front of the wall.
B2: Bobby Dalbec fumbles a ball hit right to him, and as it eludes him, Michael Taylor reaches and Mondesi scores from third base.
B2: Leadoff double for Adalberto Mondesi, who reaches second when a strong throw from Hernandez could have resulted in an easy out.
T2: With Hunter Renfroe aboard (walk), Kike Hernandez gets a hanging slider and hammers it way out to left for a quick 2-0 lead.
B1: Nathan Eovaldi has perhaps the easiest inning of the season -- just six pitches as he retires the side in order.
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won four of their last five games and are a season-high-tying 15 games above .500 for the second time this season....The Sox are 11-5 in their last 16 games....The Sox also find themselves back in first place after being dislodged from there 27 days ago, before which they had occupied first -- or a share of first -- for a 46-day stretch from April 9 to May 24...This is the 25th time the Red Sox have won as many as 43 of their first 71 games...Under the 10-team playoff format from 2012-2019, 25 of 26 teams who won 43 or more of their first 71 games made the postseason...The Sox are 3-1 through the first four games of this road trip. The Sox are 23-11 (.676) on the road, MLB’s best record...They are 20-17 (.541) at Fenway Park....The Sox have won seven of their last eight road games....The Red Sox lead the AL in runs scored with two outs with 156...Of their runs, 43.5% have been scored with two outs (156 of 359). The Sox lead MLB in two-strike RBI (146), 22 more than any other team (SF-124)...Rafael Devers (27) and Xander Bogaerts (23) rank first and second in MLB in two-strike RBI. With RISP and two outs, the Sox lead the majors in AVG (.283), slugging (.509), OPS (.880), and homers (tied, 14).....The Sox are 11-3 in their last 14 games head-to-head with the Royals...: J.D. Martinez hit his 100th HR as a member of the Red Sox Saturday, becoming the 32nd player to hit 100 HR for the Sox, and one of eight with 100+ HR and a .900+ OPS....Nathan Eovaldi leads MLB in HR/9.0 IP (0.34) and fewest HR allowed (three) among qualifiers. He ranks among AL leaders in wins (T-3rd, 7), FIP (3rd, 2.62), BB/9.0 IP (8th, 2.05), and SO/BB (10th, 4.11). Eovaldi also leads Red Sox starters in wins (seven), ERA (3.76), IP (79.0), and WHIP (1.23)...He's 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA over his last five starts...Has allowed one run or less in three of the five....Eovaldi Is 10-3 with a 3.15 ERA over his last 18 starts dating back to 8/20/20. Has allowed a HR in 3 of his last 5 starts after a career-high 11-straight homerless starts....Carlos Santana is 2-for-5 and Jarod Dyson is 2-for-4 lifetime against Eovaldi....Martinez has a nine-game hitting streak going while Alex Verdugo has hit safely in five straight...Martinez is 7-for-12 with a homer in his career against Mike Minor while Devers is just 1-for-10....
NOTES:
* The Sox have the best road record in the game (they're 3-1 on this current trip), and Alex Cora believes it might have to do with a lighter work load in games away from Fenway. The team often doesn't hit on the field before road games and Cora has established later report times to the ballpark on the road. "We do a few things differently on the road,'' said Cora. "We're not (taking BP as much on the road), to be honest with you. We're not doing too much on the field. Maybe that helps. (It) keeps them off their feet and (having) them show up later and rest a little bit more. At home, it's difficult to do that. When we go home, you get to the ballpark at 1 p.,m. because that's what we do. On the road, we've been very selective as far as when to hit and what to do. I think that's paying off. (The training staff) has been proactive with that. That first at-bat probably helps, too. It's hard to fall behind when you hit first. At home, very often, we're behind in that first inning and we have to come back -- although we've done an amazing job with that. You take that first series away and we've been solid (at home). Overall, in this division, everybody has struggled at home which is weird. You're playing with some good home-field advantages -- Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Tropicana Field. But, if we're going to be average at home, hopefully we keep dominating on the road.''