Kansas City Royals’ Danny Duffy pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Boston, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016.
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One night after almost tying the major league record for consecutive at-bats with a hit, Dustin Pedroia will miss the Boston Red Sox’s series finale against the Kansas City Royals on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
Mookie Betts had five hits and two RBIs for the Red Sox.
The Royals jumped on Wright at the outset, taking a 5-0 lead in the first inning on a three-run shot by Hosmer, followed quickly by a two-run blast by Gordon.
The loss was the fourth in the last five games for the Red Sox, who fell two games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. Boston (72-58) is a game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles for the first AL wild card. The mark of hits in 12 straight at-bats is shared by Walt Dropo for Detroit in 1952, Pinky Higgins of the Red Sox in 1938 and Johnny Kling of the Cubs in 1902. Boston has lost four of five.
Rookie Matt Strahm (2-0) relieved Yordano Ventura and pitched 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief to get the win.
Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2-5, 5.11) is expected to start for the first time since leaving his August 16 start with tightness in his left hamstring. Cheslor Cuthbert had a run-scoring fielder’s choice grounder before Lorenzo Cain added an RBI single. Kennedy caught Leon looking and fanned Jackie Bradley Jr. after the count ran full to escape further trouble.Kennedy put out another Red Sox threat in the third after there were runners on first and third with no outs.
Wright settled down and gave up just three runs after the first inning.
Ortiz’s 31st homer went into the bleachers behind Boston’s bullpen in the fourth.
Royals: C Perez took a foul ball in the chin area after it bounced in the dirt and up under his mask, but stayed in the game. RHP Koji Uehara, who has been on the DL since July 20 with a right pectoral strain, threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Friday.
Pedroia is expected to miss Sunday’s game against the Royals to attend to a family matter, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports.
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Manager John Farrell said the infielder will not go on the bereavement list and would return following services sometime after the start of Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Central. Fox Sports Kansas City will telecast the game.
