KANSAS CITY – Big hits in big games are becoming Bobby Witt Jr..’s thing.
The shortstop homered twice and knocked a go-ahead two-run double in the Royals’ 8-4 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium, salvaging the series with a victory over the team chasing Kansas City in the playoff race.
Witt put the Royals on the board early with his 21st home run of the season, a solo shot that hooked to the left-field corner. The Red Sox came back with a three-run third inning – all unearned runs against Royals starter Cole Ragans because of second baseman Michael Massey’s error – but the Royals found their relentless offense again.
Kansas City flipped a two-run deficit into a three-run lead with five runs in the fourth inning. MJ Melendez and Massey both worked walks against Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford, turning 0-2 counts into free passes. Melendez went to third on Maikel Garcia’s single and scored on a wild pitch. And Massey’s walk brought Witt to the plate — exactly what the Red Sox didn’t want to have happen.
The Royals’ hottest hitter roped an 0-2 double into the right-field corner – his 33rd two-bagger of the year – and scored shortly after on Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-run homer, bringing the first baseman’s hit streak to a career-high-tying 11 games.
Not one to let off the gas, Witt homered to straightaway center field in the sixth inning, a 421-foot shot for his 22nd homer of the year. Witt has hit safely in 19 of his past 20 games. Ragans was able to keep the Red Sox quiet the rest of the way, pitching into the seventh inning and finishing with four runs (one earned) in 6 1/3 innings. Lucas Erceg fired 1 2/3 perfect innings with two strikeouts, and Will Smith closed out the game with a scoreless ninth.
