Royals Use Eight-Run Sixth To Beat Red Sox
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer each drove in two runs in an eight-run sixth inning to help the Kansas City Royals rally to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-4 on Saturday night, depriving Tim Wakefield of his 200th victory.
Wakefield, who is 0-2 with three no-decisions since a July 24 triumph over Seattle, took a 4-1 lead into the sixth, but failed to get out of the inning. He was pulled after giving up three consecutive hits with one out and the Red Sox holding onto a 4-3 advantage.
Gordon's two-run double off Matt Albers (4-4) put the Royals up 6-4. Hosmer's two-run triple off Franklin Morales capped off the scoring.
The Royals also got run-producing doubles by Jeff Francoeur and Mike Moustakas. Chris Getz's single scored Moustakas to tie the score at 4-4.
The eight-run sixth matched a Royals season-high for an inning. Gordon led the Royals' offense with two doubles and an eighth inning single for his 500th career hit.
The 45-year-old Wakefield gave up four runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings. Hosmer, Moustakas and Salvador Perez were not even born when Wakefield began his professional career in 1988 as a weak-hitting first baseman for Watertown in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system. He moved to the mound the next year.
Felipe Paulino (2-5) picked up the victory, allowing four runs on eight hits and three walks in six innings. Paulino won for the first time since July 5.
Boston built a 3-1 lead in the fourth when they had four singles and a walk. Carl Crawford's single scored Dustin Pedroia, who led off the inning with a single. Darnell McDonald's sacrifice fly scored Josh Reddick with the other run.
The Red Sox missed an opportunity for a much bigger inning when former Royal Mike Aviles flied out to deep center, leaving the bases loaded.
Boston added a run in the sixth when Ryan Lavarnway's single brought home Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who led off the inning with a double, for his first big league RBI.
The Red Sox scored a run in the third, which Lavarnway led off with a walk, took second on a Paulino wild pitch and third on a Darnell McDonald bunt single. He scored when Marco Scutaro grounded into a double play.
Billy Butler's double to right in the bottom of the inning scored Escobar.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)