Royals hold off Red Sox 3-2 to open split-doubleheader

Despite the loud final inning, Ventura outlasted counterpart Rick Porcello, who entered the game having endured at least six innings in his previous 15 starts dating to past year.

Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a single on Sunday.

Bradley doubled home Shaw in the second inning for the Red Sox, extending his hitting streak to 22 games. They captured the series, 2-1, following five consecutive series losses. It was a nice rebound from his last start, when he allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings against Houston.

Wright (3-4) used his knuckleball masterfully to set down 10 straight at one point, but the two extra-base hits – Dyson’s triple and Hosmer’s homer – came back to haunt him. And while Porcello got through that inning and the fifth, he failed to retire a batter before getting yanked in the sixth.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Paulo Orlando lead the Royals off with a stand-up triple. It would not stay tied for long though.

Orlando’s homer highlighted a three-run eighth that gave the Royals some breathing room. “I think it was more crucial to do that today, knowing we’ve got a doubleheader”.

But the flood of hits has covered up the fact that the rotation remains a flaw for the Red Sox, perhaps a fatal one unless it is addressed.

Tommy Layne and Koji Uehara combined to yield three more runs in an ugly eighth inning. Many are pointing to shortstop Marco Hernandez as the player most likely to take O’Sullivan’s spot on the Red Sox roster. After Dustin Pedroia led the sixth off with a single, Ventura plunked Hanley Ramirez with two outs. David Ortiz drove in their other run.

If you like pitcher’s duels, last night’s Washington Nationals-New York Mets contest was the one to watch, but at Citi Field in Queens a former Mets slugger got the bulk of attention, returning for the first time to the field where he starred for New York, and now carries a league-leading batting average for Washington. In his past seven games, Shaw has three home runs, 12 RBIs and scored nine runs. Manager Ned Yost brought on Luke Hochevar in relief. Ortiz popped out to center field, Bogaerts was thrown out trying to steal second, and Ramirez struck out. In the top of the 6th, Ventura gave up a 2-out 3-run homer to Travis Shaw making it a 5-4 ball game.

The Royals added three runs in the fourth. Salvador Perez and Cheslor Cuthbert started it with one-out singles.

Hosmer entered the day having hit safely in 32 of his last 34 games, a run that’s included an 18-game hitting streak.

Nobody had a worse night than Uehara, who came out of the bullpen and immediately bobbled Omar Infante’s sacrifice bunt. The error allowed a runner to score from first. Both games will air on Fox Sports Kansas City.

The offense could not overcome the roughest start of the year from Rick Porcello, who allowed all five runs (four earned) in his five-inning, shortest outing, and the Kansas City Royals took an 8-4 victory.