Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez both hit solo home runs, Cole Ragans pitched seven innings allowing just one run, and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-1 on Friday night for their fourth straight win.
Kansas City’s Adam Frazier, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez (twice) also contributed RBIs in the game. The victory brought the Royals within one game of the Red Sox for the final wild-card spot in the American League.
“Every win counts, whether it’s early in the season or late,” commented Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “But beating a team you’re chasing in the standings is especially important for us right now.”
It was Bobby Witt Jr.’s 16th home run of the season, and he will be participating in Monday’s Home Run Derby as an All-Star. The ball landed in the center field seats atop the Green Monster and was caught by a Royals fan.
“I knew the wind was in my favor a bit,” Witt remarked. “I just focused on making solid contact.”
Cole Ragans had a strong outing, striking out seven batters and giving up only four hits to earn his first win since June 24 against Miami.
“I felt like I had good control overall,” Ragans said. “There were a few misses, but I was satisfied with my performance.”
Ceddanne Rafaela drove in the lone run for the Red Sox.
Boston’s Cooper Criswell threw a career-high 104 pitches over six innings, allowing eight hits and five runs, with only two earned runs, including Witt’s home run.
Over their last 27 games, the Red Sox have struggled against left-handed starting pitchers, posting a 1-8 record. In contrast, they have excelled with a 17-1 record against right-handers. All-Stars Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran combined for just one hit in eight at-bats on Friday.
“The production from Raffy and Jarren hasn’t been there lately,” commented manager Alex Cora. “We need to stay patient and keep working to turn things around.”
