The first batter Barnes faced – Alcides Escobar – hit a high chopper in front of the plate that Barnes had no play on to plate the first Royals run in the inning and then came the big blow when No. 9 batter Raul Mondesi cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right-center.
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Stunned by an eight-run rally Sunday night that cost them the series finale against the Kansas City Royals, the Boston Red Sox look to Rick Porcello to reverse their fortunes.
“I had a little bit of a feeling with Steven Wright being on the DL and not pitching, that knuckleball is a feel pitch”, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Betts doubled home a run in the fifth and Travis Shaw highlighted a three-hit night with an RBI single.
Porcello (18-3) became the majors’ first 18-game victor and the first Red Sox pitcher in 70 years to open a season 13-0 in Fenway Park, and Mookie Betts hit his 30th homer, a solo shot, and drove in two runs for Boston.
David Ortiz hit his 31st homer of the season, tying Jimmie Foxx for 18th place on the all-time list with 534, and Xander Bogaerts had a two-run single in a three-run fifth inning for Boston.
Rookie Matt Strahm (2-0) relieved Yordano Ventura and pitched 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief to get the win.
Eduardo Rodriguez (2-6) gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings before the bullpen allowed five more in the sixth.
Porcello allowed three runs and six hits, striking out seven without issuing a walk to become the first Boston pitcher since Dave “Boo” Ferriss finished 13-0 at home in 1946 to start a season by winning his initial 13 decisions in Fenway.
Porcello entered the day tied with Toronto Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ for the Major League Baseball lead with 17 wins.
“I was just looking fastball”.
“It unfortunately didn’t go the way I hoped”, said Barnes, who was charged with five runs and didn’t get an out.
Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia left the team after a death in the family. Young ripped a double past Longoria for two runs – and he scored on Holt’s long double. The home run, Ortiz’s 534th, was measured at 413 feet.
Betts homered over the Green Monster, hitting a billboard with the ball bouncing onto the field.
Red Sox: Manager John Farrell said RHP Koji Uehara (strained chest muscle) had another strong bullpen session.
Rick Porcello attempts to record his major league-leading 18th victory when the Boston Red Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday in the opener of a three-game series between the division rivals. Kansas City ace Danny Duffy endured a rare rough outing on Saturday, but the team has played its way back into contention with wins in 14 of its last 17 games.
“I’m glad to go home”, he said. “Look, we’ve got a group of some young players here”.
Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (9-5, 3.53 ERA) is set to start Tuesday.
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Rick Porcello (17-3, 3.23 ERA) tries to become the first 18-game victor in the majors when the Red Sox host the Rays.
