Boston (61-67, 31-38 home) beat Kansas City (56-70, 30-37 away) 8-6 this afternoon at Fenway Park. The Red Sox bounced back from their latest extra innings disaster (10-9 loss in 12 innings on Saturday Night) thanks to its two newest players: reliever Pedro Beato (1-0) who earned the cheap win in his first outing for Boston and James Loney who had an RBI single in his Red Sox debut.
With Alfredo Aceves serving his second game of a three-game suspension and Andrew Bailey getting the day off (after working three of four games), it was up to Mark Melancon to nail down the save. He allowed a single but struck out one in the ninth for his first save as a Red Sox.
It looks like David Ortiz could be shut down for the season tomorrow (and who could blame them/him?) but we still have Pedro Ciriaco (3 for 5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, solo HR) who has shown no signs of slowing down. Like all teams, the Red Sox are enjoying Royals pitching. They had 14 more hits today including two each from Jacoby Ellsbury (run, RBI, stolen base), Dustin Pedroia (solo homer), Cody Ross (run, RBI, walk) and Mike Aviles (double, RBI).
Felix Doubront came off the DL and continued to pitch like a guy that doesn't have much left in the tank. His bad habit of high pitch counts keep happening. He went five innings (98 pitches), allowing four earned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
The Fresh Prince of Kansas City Will Smith (4-6) didn't have it for the Royals. He went five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits with a strikeout and two walks.
The Royals had 11 hits, led by Alex Gordon (2 hits, stolen base), Salvador Perez (2 hits, run) and Tony Abreu (Bobby's little boy; 2 hits, 2 RBIs, run).
Ross had an RBI single in the first and Aviles added an RBI double in the second for a 2-0 Boston lead. Kansas City hung four on the board in the fourth thanks to Abreu's RBI single and a three-run homer by Lorenzo Cain (5th of the season).
Ciriaco homered over the Monster in the fifth (his second of the season) and Loney notched his RBI single. A run scored on Ellsbury's infield single in the sixth and Kansas City shot themselves in the foot in the seventh: a run scored on an error and another infield single-this time from Ciriaco.
Beato threw a scoreless sixth and seventh but he labored in the eighth since Boston's bullpen was almost all unavailable. He was responsible for the two runs that scored against Craig Breslow (he entered with bases loaded, 0 outs) on Eric Hosmer's sacrifice fly and Abreu's RBI single.
After what was shaping up to be a lost season for him individually, Pedroia has turned it on in August even while Boston's season has circled the drain. His solo homer (12th of the season) in the eighth gave Melancon some more breathing room which was a smart idea.
There is actually another game between these teams tomorrow afternoon (a makeup date) because really now, who doesn't want more Red Sox vs. Royals? Haha to top it off, it features the glorious return of Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-3). He faces Luke Hochevar (7-11) starting at 1:35 p.m. as the Red Sox try to take three of four against the Royals.
The traffic should be a nightmare and I'll bet you can buy a front row seat for like $5 since most people will be at work while this terrible game occurs. After that, Boston hits the West Coast for nine games (three in Anaheim, Oakland and Seattle), they won't be back again at Fenway until Friday, September 7 vs. Toronto.
UPDATE 8/27: Ortiz was placed on the DL and Ryan Kalish was recalled from Pawtucket to take his place on the roster. With Dice-K activated, Beato was sent down to the PawSox.
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