The Boston Red Sox couldn’t get it done on Father’s Day as the Kansas City Royals took the three-game series with a 7-3 win Sunday.
Nathan Eovaldi didn’t have his best outing, recording his fourth loss of the season on the mound. Boston got out to an early two-run lead in the second thanks to a home run from Kiké Hernández, but Kansas City went on to score seven unanswered runs before a Rafael Devers homer in the eighth.
Both Christian Arroyo and Kevin Plawecki left the game early with injuries.
With the loss, the Red Sox fall to 43-29 on the season.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Strange.
Injuries and defensive mistakes were not in Boston’s favor in the loss.
ON THE BUMP
— Eovaldi’s last start seemed to get the Red Sox rotation back on track after a rough week or so, but his outing didn’t look great on paper Sunday.
He was done after four innings, giving up four runs (three earned) off seven hits and a walk. Eovaldi struck out four, but his pitch count was inflated thanks to 20 balls being fouled off, and poor defense had a hand in every Royals run scored.
— Darwinzon Hernandez went the next 1 1/3 innings and allowed one run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout.
— Newly acquired reliever Yacksel Rios recorded two outs in the sixth. However, Kansas City managed four hits and a walk to score two additional runs. He struck out one batter bridging Boston to the seventh.
— Matt Andriese kept the Royals scoreless in the eighth but gave up two hits.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— A two-run homer from Hernández in the top of the second scored Hunter Renfroe, who reached on a walk, and put Boston up 2-0 early.
— Nothing came of a J.D. Martinez triple to deep right in the top of the third and he was stranded after the Royals had cut their lead in half.
— After Kansas City put up seven unanswered runs, Rafael Devers led the eighth inning off with a 447-foot solo shot to center.
— The Red Sox had the tying run at the plate with bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, but a double play ruined the opportunity.
— Martinez, Bobby Dalbec and Hernandez all had multi-hit days for Boston. Only Marwin Gonzalez, Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki failed to record a hit, but neither of the three played the entire game.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Silver linings courtesy of Dalbec…
UP NEXT
Boston gets a much needed off day Monday before starting a three-game series in Tampa Bay against the Rays, where the American League East’s top two teams will battle it out.
