Royals 6, Red Sox 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Billy Butler hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night.
Butler homered off Matt Albers, who replaced Daniel Bard after Bard walked Jarrod Dyson and Alex Gordon to leadoff the inning. Butler hit Albers' third pitch out to left-center. He leads the Royals with six home runs and 23 RBIs.
Bard (2-3) was charged with the loss, while left-hander Jose Mijares, the third of four Kansas City pitchers, picked up the victory. Bard gave up five runs on six hits, four walks and two balks. Mijares (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three and giving up two hits.
Jonathan Broxton worked a flawless ninth to log his sixth save in seven opportunities.
The Red Sox scored two runs with two out in the second, which Will Middlebrooks started with a double. Middlebrooks has an extra-base hit in first five big league games, matching Hall of Famer Enos Slaughter, who accomplished that in 1938. Middlebrooks, however, left that inning due to left hamstring tightness.
Middlebrooks was held up at third on Marlon Byrd's single and scored on Kelly Shoppach's single to center. Royals left-hander Danny Duffy walked Mike Aviles to load the bases, then walked Dustin Pedroia to force in a run.
Bard was his own worst enemy in the Royals' three-run second inning. Bard committed two balks, including balking home Eric Hosmer, and uncorked a wild pitch. Chris Getz and Humberto Quintero delivered run-producing singles.
The Red Sox tied it in the third when Aviles doubled with two outs and scored on Pedroia's single.
Duffy continued the trend of Kansas City starters being knocked out early when he was pulled with one out in the fifth after 102 pitches. He gave up four runs on seven hits and five walks, and he struck out only one. The Red Sox took advantage of a Getz throwing error that allowed Marlon Byrd to score in the fifth, making it 4-3.
Kansas City starters Duffy, Jonathan Sanchez and Luke Hochevar have pitched a total of 9 2/3 innings in the past three games.
NOTES: The Royals called up right-hander Vin Mazzaro, who was 1-0 with a 4.37 ERA in six starts with Class AAA Omaha, but he was in the bullpen Tuesday as a long reliever. Rookie left-hander Tommy Hottovy, who made his major league debut last season with Boston, was optioned to Omaha. ... The Red Sox will start left-hander Jon Lester against the Royals in the series finale. The Royals are 0-5 when the opponent starts a lefty. Lester no-hit the Royals on May 19, 2008, at Fenway Park and has a 5-1 record with a 1.30 ERA in seven career starts against Kansas City. ... Ortiz leads the majors with 20 extra-base hits. ... Pedroia extended his hitting streak to a season-high nine games.
