Red Sox 4, Royals 3
BOSTON -- It was an emotional start to the game for both the Red Sox and Royals, as a pre-game ceremony honored the victims of this week's terrorist attacks in Boston, along with the first responders who helped treat the victims and law enforcement who captured the suspects.
And it was a dramatic ending, as Daniel Nava's two-out, three-run home run in the eighth inning gave the Red Sox a 4-3 victory.
The Royals got on the board first when Lorenzo Cain led off the fifth inning with a double off Boston right-hander Clay Buchholz. Jeff Francouer's one-out single to left put the Royals up, 1-0.
But the Red Sox tied the game in the sixth when Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a single off James Shields, took second on Shane Victorino's sacrifice bunt and third on Dustin Pedroia's groundout.
David Ortiz's single to center scored Ellsbury.
The Royals got another run in the seventh when Cain led off with a double and scored on Salvador Perez's two-out triple.
Shields went six innings, giving up one run on four hits and three walks with eight strikeouts, but was not involved in the decision.
Buchholz (3-0) earned the victory, going eight innings, giving up two runs on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
Andrew Bailey earned the save despite giving up a lead-off home run to Cain in the ninth.
Kelvin Herrera took the loss for the Royals, going one-third of an inning, giving up two runs, including Nava's home run.
NOTES: The Royals first run of the game, with one out in the fifth inning, snapped a 22-inning scoreless streak for Clay Buchholz. ... In their 16th game of the season, the Red Sox faced an opponent with a record above .500. ... Stephen Drew snapped an 0-for-9 skid with a fifth-inning single. ... With his first-inning walk, Dustin Pedroia has reached base safely in all 16 games this season. He also extended his streak of reaching base safely to 26 games since Sept. 21, 2012. It is the third-longest such streak of his career, behind the 37 in 2011 and the 29 in 2008. ... Lorenzo Cain went 4-for-4, with two doubles and a home run, raising his average from .340 to .392. ... Shane Victorino left the game because of low back tightness.
