The Boston Red Sox claimed a series win in Arlington, TX, and nearly gained a game in the American League wild card standings.
But the Kansas City Royals, one of the teams the Sox are battling for the third AL wild card spot, prevented Boston's slight rise through the ranks. A certified Red Sox killer buried them without even playing them.
The Royals were an out away from a 2-0 loss to the division-rival Tigers in Detriot, but MJ Melendez blasted a pinch-hit, three-run homer to give his squad a lead the Tigers couldn't recover from. The Red Sox's bats exploded for seven runs, four of them homers, to beat the Rangers, but Melendez didn't allow them to make up any ground.
Now, the Sox face off with Melendez and the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City has been red-hot lately and has won 15 of its last 22 games — Boston can't say the same. Getting through Melendez's at-bats will be a daunting task on its own.
Red Sox killer MJ Melendez maintains Royals's lead over Boston in wild card standings with game-winning homer
MJ Melendez puts the @Royals in front with a pinch-hit 3-run shot! pic.twitter.com/cSwB8US0sU
— MLB (@MLB) August 4, 2024
The 25-year-old lefty bat has played 16 games against the Red Sox in his three-year MLB career and his numbers against them are outstanding. Melendez is a career .220/.302/.396 hitter in 368 games, but he's batting .411 against the Sox. He's collected 23 hits, eight homers, 20 RBI and 16 runs scored against Boston.
The Red Sox took their first series of the season against the Royals, and they'll need to take the second one to stay afloat in the wild card standings. Kansas City will likely be their biggest competition in the push for the postseason, and winning the season series would give Boston a huge boost.
The Red Sox's bats got the best of the Royals' stellar pitching staff in the previous series. Seth Lugo and Brady Singer threw for less than eight innings combined in their two starts against Boston, and the bats enter the series on a high note. But the Sox's pitchers have also struggled recently, and now Melendez has momentum going into a set of games against his favorite opponent.