Red Sox Muster Two Hits in 5-1 Loss to Zack Greinke, Royals

by abournenesn

Sep 22, 2009

Red Sox Muster Two Hits in 5-1 Loss to Zack Greinke, Royals The Red Sox found out what happens when a Cy Young candidate is spotted five runs.
They also found out that Zack Greinke is the real deal.

The Royals crossed the plate five times in the first inning off of Boston starter Paul Byrd and that’s all they would need. The offense didn’t offer Byrd and the rest of the staff much help as the Sox bats were silenced all night long, mustering just two hits in Kansas City’s 5-1 win on Tuesday night.

Although Byrd lasted longer than the Royals ace — 101 pitches in a season-high 6 2/3 innings — Greinke cruised to his 15th win of the season. The Royals have now won three straight including two in a row over the AL wild-card leaders.

Royals 5, Red Sox 1
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
September 22, 2009

Live Blog | Box Score | Recap

Headliner: Zack Greinke proved he’s the Cy Young-caliber pitcher that Red Sox Nation has been hearing about all season long. Greinke held the Sox bats to just two hits over six innings while fanning five and walking three. The righty retired eight straight after giving up a first-inning double to Dustin Pedroia and was taken out of the game after throwing 91 pitches.

The ace has given up just one earned run in his last five starts.

Dirt dog: Alberto Callaspo went 3-for-3 with a run, a walk and an RBI in the win. The second baseman now has 70 RBIs this season and is hitting 26-for-70 (.371 BA) with 20 RBIs, 10 runs and six doubles in 19 games in the month of September.

Red Sox first baseman Victor Martinez extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a single in the sixth.

Better luck next time: The Red Sox No. 4-9 hitters went a combined 0-for-21 with nine strikeouts and 12 runners left on base.

Key moment: The Royals got to Paul Byrd early, to say the least. The Sox starter allowed three runs almost immediately thanks to two singles, two walks, an RBI single and an RBI groundout. Then, with two down and men on second and third, Alex Gordon flared a two-run single to left to make it 5-0 Kansas City after one. In the frame, Byrd threw eight consecutive balls to walk two straight batters — one of which forced in a run.

On deck: Red Sox ace Josh Beckett looks for win No. 16 as he takes the bump against Luke Hochevar in Game 3 of the four-game set.

Becket took a no-decision in his last outing despite holding the Angels to just three runs over eight innings. Beckett struck out seven and walked none in that 3-2 loss and coughed up just seven hits. The righty has just one win since Aug. 12, picking up two losses and four no-decisions in that span. In six career starts, Beckett is 4-0 with a 1.90 ERA against the Royals, striking out 34 and walking eight in 42 2/3 innings.

Hochevar picked up his first career shutout in his last start, an 11-0 thrashing of the White Sox on Friday. In that win, his seventh of the season, he struck out five, walked one and allowed just three hits going all nine frames. The third-year righty is 1-2 in three career starts against the Sox but is an even 4-4 at home this season.

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