Things were looking grim for a bit, but the Red Sox were able to pull off a win.
Boston defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Monday night at Fenway Park in a game that featured six home runs.
Garrett Richards struggled through his first two innings and allowed Kansas City to take a hefty lead before the offense turned things on. The right-hander surrendered 11 hits through 5 2/3 innings.
Hunter Renfroe continued to prove his worth to the Red Sox with two home runs, including what would be the game-winner.
With the win, the Red Sox moved to 48-31, while the Royals fell to 33-44.
Here's how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Homers.
Each team amassed three round-trippers in the game.
ON THE BUMP
-- Richards attacked the strike zone early in the first, but the Royals still were able to get to him.
The Royals led the game off with back-to-back singles from Whit Merifield and Jorge Soler which was followed up with a three-run home run off the bat of Carlos Santana to make it 3-0.
Richards allowed another single, but got out of the inning without allowing another run.
The Royals continued to get to Richards in the second, and opened up the game 4-1 thanks to a Michael Taylor solo home run to begin the inning. But things didn't get any easier for Richards as Merrifield also took the pitcher deep to put the Royals up 5-1.
Richards settled down and bounced back with a scoreless third, fourth and fifth. He got two outs in the sixth, but a two-out single forced manager Alex Cora to make a change.
-- Hirokazu Sawamura needed one pitch to get the third and final out.
He returned for the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout.
-- Josh Tayor had the eighth and sat the Royals down in order.
-- Matt Barnes closed the game out with his 17th save of the season.
IN THE BATTER'S BOX
-- Kiké Hernández, much like he did in Sunday's win over the New York Yankees, got the Red Sox their first run of the game by way of a solo home run in the first inning to bring the Red Sox within two runs and make it a 3-1 game.
-- Bobby Dalbec hit the fifth home run of the game in the second inning to cut into Kansas City's lead, 5-2.
-- The Red Sox made it a whole new ballgame in the fourth.
Xander Bogaerts began the frame with a double, which led to Hunter Renfroe continuing to remain red-hot with a two-run shot that traveled 439-feet to make it 5-4.
The inning continued when Michael Chavis tied it at 5-5 with an RBI single. He attempted to steal second, but was thrown out to end the fourth.
-- None other than Renfroe gave Boston its first lead of the night with his second home run of the game that only took about two seconds to leave Fenway Park.
-- Hernández, Renfroe and Dalbec had two hits apiece.
TWEET OF THE GAME
*insert heart eyes emoji*
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Royals continue their series Tuesday night at Fenway Park. Nick Pivetta is expected to take the hill. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
