Aug 20, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas (8) is welcomed back to the dugout after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Battle of the bullpens
In a battle of the bullpens the Royals have a huge edge. With the Red Sox bullpen you know it is like a car wreck – you should not gawk, but you can’t help yourself. Today was no different than many other games.
In the seventh the defibrillators were on stand-by as Alexi Ogando and Tommy Layne did their best to get some work for coronary units. Thankfully, the Red Sox bullpen escaped with two on and no runs allowed. A promising start for the bullpen.
The Red Sox finished off Volquez (6.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 5 K) in the seventh. Ryan Hanigan lined a single to left and hustled home on a Bradley double down the line in right to break the tie. Rutledge sacrificed and Bradley didn’t read a line drive out to right and remained planted on third. Into the game Franklin Morales.
Sandoval hit a slow roller to Morales, who took the slippery ball and tossed it closer to the fans than first base. Error on Franklin and run for Boston and a 6-4 lead.
The Boston ‘pen responded with another scoreless inning in the eighth.
What were they thinking?
To lead off the Royals ninth Infante hit a one hop wall ball that danced around Bradley to be a triple, but Infante – with the Royals down two runs – got the green light to go home. A Bradley one hop cannon shot to Hanigan gave the Sox an out and Infante a triple.
Tazawa gives it up
The Royals had no problem solving Tazawa and racked up five straight hits with the key being a Hosmer two run single to left. Tie game. Tazawa then loaded the bases with Moustakas coming up. Interim manager, Torey Lovullo, decided to leave in Heathcliff Slocumb – sorry, a flashback – to pitch to lefty Moose who was (note: was) 0-8 in bases loaded situations this season. Now 1-9. Lead gone. Game gone. And I wonder why, since lefty Robbie Ross was ready, but not in to face Moose. Possibly after five hits in a row the chances were there would not be a sixth?
With a 8-6 lead in came Wade Davis and that was that.
Next up for the Boston Red Sox is a trip to U.S. Cellular Field to face the Chicago White Sox, who will start right-hander free agent possibility Jeff Samardzija (8-9, 4.64). The Red Sox will counter with a revitalized Joe Kelly (6-6, 5.37).