Royals stand between Red Sox and record for April wins
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox have baseball's best record at 20-7 and have won 18 games in April, tying a franchise record. They can break it as they head into the last game of the month Monday night against the Kansas City Royals.
Despite four losses in their last seven games, the Red Sox have matched the second-best start in franchise history. The 1946 team opened 23-4 (and went to the World Series), but the 1994 and 2002 teams, like this 2018 group, started 20-7.
Boston faces a Kansas City team that has the worst record (7-20) in the American League but has won two in a row for the first time this season.
The Royals made their seventh attempt at a two-game winning streak at home against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday -- and this time it happened with a run in the eighth inning.
Whit Merrifield, who had been 1-for-18 with runners in scoring position, drove in the winner and Cheslor Cuthbert hit his first two homers of the season. Cuthbert had last hit a homer Aug. 20, a span of 109 at-bats.
With closer Kelvin Herrera not available, former Red Sox right-hander Blaine Boyer posted his first save since 2016.
On Sunday, the Red Sox got "help" from suspended reliever Joe Kelly, who left his comfortable seats and went out to the bleachers behind the bullpen with his team down 3-0. They rallied to tie and then won when Sandy Leon poked a single past third base in the eighth inning.
"I got suite tickets from (club president) Sam (Kennedy)," Kelly said. "Sam lets me come up there. We had no runs, so gotta get out of the suite and be able to switch it up."
He didn't stay long, but it worked.
Jason Hammel will start the opener of a three-game series for the Royals.
Hammel is 3-3 with a 4.25 ERA in 15 games and eight starts against Boston in his career, and 2-1 with a 4.45 ERA in nine games and four starts at Fenway Park. Hanley Ramirez has worn him out to the tune of 9-for-19 (.472) with a home run. Mitch Moreland is 3-for-7 (.429) and Xander Bogaerts 2-for 6 (.333).
Mookie Betts, who didn't play Sunday because of hamstring tightness and is listed as day to day, is 0-for-7 lifetime against Hammel, Andrew Benintendi is 1-for-7 (.143) and Christian Vazquez 1-for-6.
Hammel will face Eduardo Rodriguez, who looks to continue his early-season roll.
Rodriguez, whose season debut was delayed after offseason knee surgery, has followed a 3 2/3-inning debut April 8 with a career record-tying three-game run of quality starts, all resulting in wins.
He has worked 18 2/3 innings, yielded six earned runs and struck out 16 during that span.
Rodriguez is 1-1 with a 4.98 ERA in four career starts against the Royals, whose current roster is hitting a combined .311 (14-for-45) against him. Merrifield is 3-for-3 and Alex Gordon 3-for-6, but Alcides Escobar is 1-for-6 (.167) and Salvador Perez 1-for-7 (.143) off the left-hander.
Escobar left Sunday's game with a bruised left hand after getting hit by a pitch (and then scoring the winning run before leaving for the ninth inning) and is considered day to day.
However, as manager Ned Yost indicated, the Royals are optimistic he could be back quickly.
"(Former Royals pitcher) Jason Vargas called him, 'The Shark.' He's got no bones, just cartilage," Yost said. "He heals really, really quick."
