Aug 23, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (25) gets a hit to drive in a run against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Three frames and a lead. Thank you, JBJ.
Two out runs can be a deflator that would make Tom Brady jealous and the Red Sox did jut that with their eighth two out score of the series – and were not satisfied and added on a ninth.
Edinson Volquez allowed an infield hit to Rusney Castillo – notice how Castillo is suddenly approaching .300? With two outs Bradley cleaned out a fastball to left-center and Castillo, a real speedster, easily motored home for a two out run. And to pump up the 72.5M Castillo – the hit streak is now at eight games.
The ninth position has been rather productive for Boston and up came Josh Rutledge, who hit a shot into center and a second run. Mookie Betts then hammered a ball to deep center that Lorenzo Cain brought down in front of the wall. The Red Sox now took a 2-0 lead. Now it was the Royals turn to respond and they did.
Singles by Alex Rios and Omar Infante set up a sac situation by Drew Butera, who laid down a beauty that would pay dividends. Rodriguez hung a breaking ball to Alcides Escobar, who got the run in with a sac fly. Ben Zobrist ended the mini uprising with an easy grounder to Rutledge off a quality change by E-Rod.
Home run number 27?
Boston fans did get a bit of excitement in the last of the third when David Ortiz hit a deep shot to right that Rios flagged down, so the count to number 500 stalled.