All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 2-0 win over the Royals, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
James Paxton deals: Paxton posted a 5.40 ERA over his past five starts entering Thursday, including a four-run mess last weekend in a 7-3 loss to the Blue Jays when he allowed three home runs. He rested six days prior to this start against the Royals, and mixed his fastball with off-speed pitches well to effectively strike out one Kansas City hitter each inning while working around five hits. Alex Verdugo backed him up in the second inning sliding to grab Edward Olivares' fly ball along the right field line, doubling up MJ Melendez, who turned around second base after a leadoff single. His curve and cutter downed Samad Taylor and Dairon Blanco swinging in the third, then he struck out Freddy Fermin looking to end the fourth with a Royals runner on second. Paxton struck out Taylor and Maikel Garcia swinging with a low curve around Dairon Blanco's fifth-inning triple. John Schreiber relieved him in the sixth, recording two outs and protecting Paxton's shutout after Bobby Witt Jr. doubled. Paxton's effort marked his first quality start since June.
"He did a good job. (Kansas City) put good at-bats the whole series, they were able to hit the ball the other way hard, (Verdugo) made some plays," Cora said. "(Paxton) gave us enough then the bullpen was great."
Trevor Story hits: Story popped out early after working a 3-0 count on Austin Cox, playing DH for the second consecutive night following his 0-8 start after returning from Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. Down 0-2 with the game scoreless in the fourth, he launched an Alec Marsh fastball over Royals center fielder Dairon Blanco, who recovered, then lost control of the ball colliding with the wall and allowing Story his first hit in his 10th at-bat back. The hit moved Triston Casas to third base, who scored on Verdugo's sacrifice fly. Story didn't score, Luis Urías struck out on a low pitch looking, but Adam Duvall's two-out RBI double in the following inning drove home Pablo Reyes from second after replay overturned a foul ball call down the line off the monster. Story later took four pitches for a walk, then got caught stealing with Jarren Duran up with one out in the sixth. He struck out on a low-and-away pitch in the eight, his seventh since returning, but progress nonetheless. Story will play shortstop on Friday and Sunday against Detroit.
"Better, right?" Cora said. "He was able to catch up with the fastball in an 0-2 count after seeing all those sliders, then the walk was good. So just keep grinding, keep going."
Bullpen dominates: Boston's set bullpen completed the shutout work Paxton started. John Schreiber closed out the sixth with a runner in scoring position from Paxton. Josh Wincowski worked around a Royals hit and walk in the seventh, striking out Blanco and Maikel Garcia. Then, Chris Martin improved to allowing no runs in 23-of-24 appearances. Kenley Janson struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth, securing his 26th save in 29 tries. The Red Sox' staff pitched their first shutout since July 17 in Oakland, when Nick Pivetta struck out 13 batters in a bullpen game. They're no more -- for now.
"We'll see tomorrow," Cora said. "What those guys did the last few days was a lot, so somebody else has to step up. We got Chris (Sale) for X amount of pitches and innings, and other guys have to step up tomorrow."
THREE UP
James Paxton: Mixed his fastball with a low-running curveball, and an occasional changeup and cutter for his best start since June 30, posting his third shutout effort all season and walking nobody for only the second time. The Red Sox banked on him keeping them in the playoff race when they potentially could've traded his outstanding value contract at the deadline. They kept him and pulled Boston within 4.0 games of the playoffs, striking out six of the 12 Royals batters the Sox retired on strikes. The effort followed a six-game stretch where Red Sox pitchers allowed 100 baserunners and 39 runs. Kansas City swung and missed all night before a Bobby Witt Jr. double in the sixth threatened the shutout. Schreiber forced a pair of fly-outs to end the inning.
Adam Duvall: Drove in Pablo Reyes with a fifth-inning double off the green monster that the umpire crew initially called a foul ball. Replay confirmed it hit the yellow line on the monster and pushed the Red Sox in front 2-0, a lead they held for the rest of the game. Duvall also singled in the first, helping Boston record eight hits along with Reyes in the leadoff spot after Boston started August .226 (22nd) with 30 runs (T-25th) entering Thursday. Duvall hit 1-8 to begin the series, but helped Cora shuffle his outfield against a tricky Kansas City bullpen game that saw them use a second lefty in Tayler Hearn before pivoting to Marsh for the rest of the game. Masataka Yoshida sat for a scheduled rest game.
Chris Martin: On fire with an ERA below 0.50, allowing one run over his last 24 appearances (20.2 IP), adding an eighth hold over that stretch dating back to June 9. Martin struck out Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez in the eighth inning, lowering the leverage for Jansen to record a save ahead 2-0 with a pair of strikeouts of his own after pitching yesterday.
THREE DOWN
Alex Verdugo: His bad route on a sixth inning Witt Jr. hit turned a single into a double, Witt eventually advancing to third, erased Verdugo's nice catch that set up a double play. That, along with an 0-3 night that included an RBI sacrifice fly bringing Casas home finishes as acceptable, but not moving the needle significantly in the right direction. He finished the series 2-10 with two doubles, three RBI and a walk, but an early bat toss after his second-inning fly out showed some frustration lingering entering a second month of struggles at the plate. How often will he play down the stretch? Cora praised his defense after the win.
"Great jump," Cora said. "He's one of the best, if not the best defensive right fielder in the league. He's been doing it the whole year. His jumps are better, his routes are much better, the throws are great. Overall, it's been a great defensive season."
Luis Urías: Now 4-19 with two walks (0-3 tonight) since joining the Red Sox and bordering on an everyday player with Story playing some DH. This team misses Justin Turner immensely, given his ability to play second base, but balancing defense, Story's workload and Turner's injured heel will thrust both Reyes and Urías into action together on many nights. It beats the infield combinations that piled up errors earlier in the year, but doesn't help an ailing offense. Credit to Reyes for finishing 2-4 and scoring in a rare leadoff appearance.
Umpires: Adam Hamari struck out Urías to end the fourth inning on a 2-2 count with Story on second. Nick Marhley strangely called Reese McGuire out after he beat out a soft ground ball that Freddie Fermin threw away, calling interference on the throw and pulling Cora out of the dugout to argue. Vic Carapazza later called Story safe stealing second and Emil Jimenez ruled Duvall's RBI double off the monster foul, both of those overturned by replay. A rainy night saw a cycle of bad calls from the umpire crew.
"(McGuire) was inside," Cora said, smiling. "That's a tough one. Whenever something happens at first, they drop it, whatever, that's usually what happened. It's so hard to stay on the line, it's been going on for years."
Loved McGuire sliding into first to run out a single in the seventh, advancing to third on Rafael Devers' double before Duvall flew out to end the frame.
NOTABLE
Boston will activate LHP Chris Sale from the IL to start on Friday against the Tigers.
"We've been waiting for this day," Cora said of Sale's return. "He's been around us and he feels good. I'm looking forward to him pitching here on Friday night at Fenway. It should be fun."
RHP Tanner Houck will pitch in Triple-A Worcester's double-header tomorrow against Buffalo after his 50-pitch rehab appearance was postponed due to rain.
UP NEXT
Friday vs. Detroit at 7:10 p.m., LHP Tarik Skubal (2-1, 3.67) vs. LHP Chris Sale (5-2, 4.58)
