BSJ Game Report: Royals 9, Red Sox 3 - Pitching implodes in Trevor Story's hitless return

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 9-3 loss to the Royals, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Pitching implodes as new additions struggle: Kutter Crawford lasted only 3.1 innings after striking out six Royals early, unable to avoid damage after putting baserunners on in each inning. He allowed only one run despite six baserunners reaching through the first three innings. With only one hit of support behind him through that stretch, Drew Waters pushed the Royals ahead 3-0 with a home run to begin the fourth and Alex Cora removed him after seven hits and two walks. 

Brennan Bernadino held off more damage after loading the bases, then Dinelson Lamet took Boston out of the game in his debut with walk, wild pitch, fielder's choice run, single and two-run home run to go down 6-2 in the fifth. Nick Robertson, acquired in the Kiké Hernández trade, let three more Royals score in the seventh inning before retiring seven straight hitters to provide some semblance of bullpen relief. Boston's pitching and Connor Wong also watched the Royals steal a season-worst six bases, two directly helping create runs. 

Trevor Story hitless in his return: Trevor Story struck out three times hitting in place of Justin Turner (heel) in his first game since last September, along with his debut for Boston at shortstop. Royals starter Brady Singer downed him with four sinkers, three sliders took him down swinging in the fourth, then he tried to reach for a low-and-away slider that Bobby Witt Jr. played cleanly at shortstop. Later, Tucker Davidson struck out Story on a 1-2 splitter in the dirt. Witt Jr. provided Story's only fielding action in a game filled with Royals hits and strikeouts, Story throwing out Witt smoothly from short.

"As we're going every other day at short," Story said. "I need the at-bats to get the timing going, so I think that's a big part of it, getting the reps. There's no more spring training, it's time to go and we're trying to fight for a playoff spot ... if I feel good to DH and the arm's responding well, that's up to (Cora)."

THREE UP

Triston Casas: Worked a full night without an error in the field with the Royals constantly putting balls in play and hit 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, providing most of the team's offense. That qualifies for a positive on a night like this. Tuesday's effort turned around Casas' 3-19 (.158) start to August. 

Adam Duvall: Hit a 424-foot home run over the monster to pull the Sox within 3-1 before Alex Verdugo and Connor Wong combined to generate another run in the loudest inning Boston could muster all night. Threatening to tie the game, Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida went down on five pitches against Singer, who worked 6.2 innings, walked two and struck out four. Duvall finished 1-4. 

Alex Verdugo: Sitting again on Monday, Verdugo appeared late as a pinch hitter then returned to right field hitting seventh. Verdugo walked and doubled before running to the bullpen wall with a Royals runner on second to end a messy fifth inning. It's a step in the right direction for a player whose offense disappeared in early July before receiving discipline over the weekend in a benching that raised eyebrows and sparked some reporting on his future. 

THREE DOWN

Kutter Crawford: Royals hitters put his pitches over the plate in play and when he went outside the zone, he managed six strikeouts, but walked a pair of Royals in an erratic outing that didn't last four innings. Kansas City took a lead in the second inning catching up to his fastball and sitting on a slider. A cutter over the plate nearly cost him in the third, then Waters smashed one down in the middle in the fourth over 400 feet before Crawford lost control. He finished throwing over 70% of his pitches for strikes, perhaps too many, as 10 Royals reached base against him. His ERA worsened to 6.23 at home.

"There were balls that stayed over the heart of the plate and they didn't miss those tonight," Crawford said. "It was shaky, some at-bats I felt like I was in control and another at-bat, I felt like I had no control. It was definitely a battle." 

Dinelson Lamet: Another potential pitching addition who's gone before long. After posting an ERA over 11 in Colorado, Lamet pointed that figure higher by giving up four hits, three runs and walking another in a performance that put the game out of reach. The Sox bullpen is exhausted, leading to Lamet's call-up by designating Richard Bleier for assignment. Bernadino had just escaped the fourth, too overworked himself to continue beyond 0.2 innings, when Lamet started decently. Edward Olivares reached on a 3-2 pitch and Lamet downed the bottom of Kansas City's order. 

Maybe Boston needed too much from him, because his second inning saw him throw four balls far outside the zone, toss away a wild pitch to let Maikel Garcia take third on a steal attempt, before Garcia scored on a ground ball, Salvador Perez singled and MJ Melendez homered 400 feet to center field. Olivares singled and stole second, testing Lamet's control, and Verdugo finally prevented more damage lunging for the third out in deep right field. 

Nick Robertson: Not as focused on his seven straight outs in garbage time as he yielded a single, double, stolen base and home run to begin the seventh inning with the game in reach. Since arriving in Boston through the Hernández trade, he's allowed four runs in two innings. Worse, Justin Hagenman, the other arm acquired in that deal, hasn't thrown well in Triple-A Worcester. Through Robertson's effort, the Red Sox allowed an unfathomable 90 hitters to reach base and 36 runs over the last five games. You can't pitch much worse than that, and double plays, base-running blunders and other breaks prevented several more from crossing home plate. Of note, Kansas City entered ranked 28th in total runs. 

NOTABLE 

The long-running opener tactic appears finished, for now, as Nick Pivetta will start on Wednesday again without one. James Paxton is scheduled to throw on Thursday in the series finale, Chris Sale returns on Friday against the Tigers, Bryan Bello goes on Saturday and Crawford likely returns to the mound on Sunday to round out the first full rotation for the Sox in months. 

Boston lost its fifth game over the last seven since the trade deadline, outscored 46-26 by its opponents. The Sox fell 5.0 games back of the playoffs.

UP NEXT 

Wednesday vs. Kansas City at 7:10 p.m., RHP Jordan Lyles (3-12, 6.24) vs. RHP Nick Pivetta (7-6, 4.19)