Red Sox make this one quick
Win continuation of game with Royals in just 12 minutes
Boston — Brock Holt helped the Red Sox make quick work of the Kansas City Royals in a victory that was two weeks in the making.
Holt hit an RBI single with one out in the 10th inning as Boston beat Kansas City 5-4 Thursday to complete the weather-suspended game that began Aug. 7.
"We wanted to end it as quick as possible," said Holt, who hopped on a flight to San Diego with his teammates after the game. "It was probably have had today." the best outcome we could The original contest was halted after a 1-hour, 49-minute rain delay early on Aug. 8 with the score tied 4-4 and nobody out in the top of the 10th inning. Royals catcher Meibrys Viloria was facing a 2-1 count against Red Sox reliever Josh Taylor.
Play resumed 14 days, 14 hours and 18 minutes later when Taylor (1-1) lobbed a ball to Nick Dini, who pinch hit for Viloria and lined out to first base.
"It's weird, especially when I was anticipating facing a lefty (Viloria) and then they bring in a righty (Dini)," Taylor said.
Taylor struck out Ryan O'Hearn and pinch hitter Bubba Starling grounded out
end the Royals' inning. Starling took the spot of nine-hole hitter Billy Hamilton, who went 2-for-4 with a strikeout on Aug. 7 but was designated for assignment on Aug. 16.
Christian Vázquez doubled to center field after Andrew Benintendi struck out looking to lead off Boston's 10th. Richard Lovelady (0-3) intentionally walked pinch hitter Sam Travis before Holt singled on a line drive to left field to score Chris Owings, who was pinch running for Vázquez.
The official time of game was 3:48, with only 12 minutes being played Thursday.
"The way things have been going, (I thought) we might play 16 innings," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, whose team lost 14 of 22 coming in. "But I'm glad Christian put a good swing and then Brock put a good swing."
Viloria's two-run single in the third inning on Aug. 7 gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead. J.D. Martinez tied it with a two-run homer in the fourth and Xander Bogaerts' two-run double made it 4-2 in the fifth.
Whit Merrifield singled in a run in the sixth and Nicky Lopez doubled in the seventh to knot the score at 4. Play was eventually stopped at 10:47 p.m. and the game was suspended at 12:36 a.m.
With Kansas City nearly 30 games out of a playoff spot, manager Ned Yost suggested after the suspension that the teams wait until the end of the season to see if completing the game was necessary. "That's the smart thing to do," Yost said on Aug. 8.
Before Thursday, Boston's most recent suspended game was April 16, 2010, at home against Tampa Bay and resumed the following day. Kansas City's last suspended game, an Aug. 31, 2014, home contest versus Cleveland, was completed that Sept. 22.
No days off
Both teams forfeited an off day to finish the game. The Royals flew in from Baltimore on Wednesday night ahead of a weekend series in Cleveland. The Red Sox already were home after losing on back-to-back days to Philadelphia.
Free baseball
Fans under 18 were allowed into Fenway Park for free and a $5 admission fee for adults was to be donated to the Jimmy Fund. Early arrivers were allowed to walk around the warning track on the field and concessions were sold at a discounted price.
Trainer's room
Royals: RHP Jake Newberry was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation before the game. RHP Kyle Zimmer was recalled from Triple-A Omaha . ... RHP Jesse Hahn, the ex-Fitch star, (UCL sprain in right elbow) began a rehab assignment with the Arizona League Royals on Wednesday.
Red Sox: LHP David Price (left wrist cyst) threw another bullpen session after the game. Cora said the team would decide on a course of action afterward.
New York — Needing a break, the New York Mets watched Cleveland hand it to them — Brad Hand, especially.
The Indians All-Star closer failed to cover first base on what could've been a game-ending double play, and moments later J.D. Davis lined an RBI single that capped a two-run rally in the 10th inning for a 4-3 win Wednesday night.
Davis, like most everyone else at Citi Field, thought the Mets might be doomed when Michael Conforto hit a sharp grounder to first baseman Carlos Santana.
“Off the bat, I was like, yeeeek! You hold your breath,” Davis said.
A mental lapse, no one saw that coming.
Santana's solo homer in the 10th put the Indians ahead 3-2. But then Amed Rosario opened the Mets half with a double off Hand (6-4) and went to third on a sacrifice by Joe Panik.
An intentional walk to Pete Alonso put runners at first and third, and the Indians set their middle infield at double-play depth, playing even with the bags at the corners.
Conforto followed with a hard grounder and Santana moved to his right to grab it in a hurry. Rather than try to get Rosario at the plate, Santana had another thought.
“Making a double play,” he said.
Santana zipped a throw to star shortstop Francisco Lindor, who was in perfect position to make a relay and was set to let loose. But no one was covering first — Hand initially watched the play, then curiously headed toward the plate as the tying run scored — and Lindor could only hold the ball.
Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez crouched in disbelief while Santana stayed bent over, looking at first base for a throw that never came.
“I wasn't looking at the runner. I didn't see if he was breaking right away,” Hand said. “Obviously, a one-run game, you can't let that run score right there. I thought maybe he could've gone home.”
“I kind of stopped, expecting him to throw it home. But once he wasn't throwing it home, I didn't have a chance to get over there,” he said.
Indians manager Terry Francona said he thought Santana should've thrown home.
“With a lefty on the mound, you're not going to be able to get over there,” he said. “So once he can't get back, there's nobody else there to take the throw.”
The Mets won their fourth in a row and for the 20th time in 25 games, moving a season-high six over .500. It was their 12th win in the last 13 at Citi Field — they have more home games down the stretch than any team in the majors.
New York also improved baseball's best interleague record this year to 14-5, winning for the second straight day in a matchup of playoff contenders.
Cleveland leads the AL wildcard race and has played well on the road lately. But the Indians have won only once while visiting the Mets — that was in 2004 at Shea Stadium.