Royals trump Red Sox bullpen to keep roll going

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Whit Merrifield drove in the go- ahead run in the seventh inning, Eric Hosmer hit a two- run home run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red Sox 4- 2 on Monday night for their eighth victory in nine games.

Jason Hammel ( 4- 6) pitched seven sharp innings before turning it over to Mike Minor, who loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth. No. 9 hitter Christian Vazquez proceeded to send a slow bounder toward third base that Cheslor Cuthbert fielded cleanly and fired to first to end the threat.

Kelvin Herrera worked around an Andrew Benintendi ( Arkansas Razorbacks) triple in the ninth for his 16th save.

Red Sox reliever Blaine Boyer ( 0- 1), who wriggled out of a jam in the sixth, gave up Merrifield’s bouncing RBI single in the seventh. Boyer was lifted after Lorenzo Cain added an insurance run with a single, the second consecutive night Boston’s stingy bullpen has allowed two runs.

Red Sox relievers had thrown 26 consecutive scoreless innings before the slump.

Hammel scattered seven hits without a walk, stranding seven along the way, and the only damage against him came in the fourth inning. That’s when he gave up a leadoff single to Hanley Ramirez, and hot- hitting Jackie Bradley Jr. sent a 1- 0 pitch over the bullpen in right field for a two- run home run that tied the game.

It was the third consecutive start in which Hammel pitched into the

seventh.

Boston right- hander Hector Velazquez was nearly as good as Hammel in his second career start, carefully navigating a bunch of baserunners during the first two innings. Hosmer finally dinged him in the third with an estimated 446foot shot to center, a line drive that cleared the seats and landed in the fountains.