collected four hits, including a home run, and the Boston Red Sox beat
the Kansas City Royals 8-6 on Sunday.
Adrian Beltre had three hits and three
RBIs for Boston, but was part of a ninth-inning collision that resulted
in Red Sox left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury being helped off the field.
Jose Guillen homered twice and drove
in four runs for the Royals.
Pedroia connected in the fourth
against right-hander Gil Meche, who came off the disabled list after
being hampered by a stiff shoulder at the end of spring training. It was
the second baseman’s 13th career game with at least four hits.
Guillen led off the second with a
drive to center and hit a three-run shot off Ramon Ramirez in the eighth
to get Kansas City within two. Ramirez failed to retire any of the
three hitters he faced.
Jonathan Papelbon worked a perfect
ninth for his second save in two opportunities.
Boston sent eight men to the plate
during its four-run first. Victor Martinez singled in Ellsbury and
scored on Beltre’s base hit. Jeremy Hermida added a two-run double.
Beltre doubled in two more runs in the
fourth to give Boston an 8-3 lead.
Clay Buchholz (1-0) worked five
innings for the Red Sox, yielding three runs, two earned and seven hits.
Meche (0-1), in the fourth season of a
$55 million, five-year contract, lasted just 3 1/3 innings, allowing
seven runs and eight hits. Royals starting pitchers had a 2.51 ERA in
the first five games of the season.
Ellsbury left after he collided with
Beltre in foul territory while chasing Mitch Maier‘s fly ball.
Notes
The Royals optioned INF Mike
Aviles to Triple-A Omaha to make room for Meche on the roster. …
Maier, who led the majors with a .475 batting average in spring
training, appeared in his first game, going 0-for-2 with a walk. … OF
J.D. Drew was held out of Boston’s lineup with a stiff neck. He is
hoping to return to the lineup Monday at Minnesota. … INF Bill Hall
made his Red Sox debut, starting at shortstop and moving to right field
in the ninth. He went 0-for-3 and committed an error in the first that
led to an unearned run. … Red Sox DH David Ortiz struck out four
times, bringing his strikeout total to nine in 19 at-bats. He is hitting
.111 with one extra-base hit and one RBI in five games.