Rookie Kansas City Royals’ (40-53) third baseman Alex Gordon went 3-4 with three runs and a double and Billy Butler, Tony Pena, Jr., and John Buck each drove in two runs in the 9-3 win over the Boston Red Sox (56-37).
It was a tight game until the top of the seventh inning when the Royals busted open a 3-1 contest to an 8-1 game scoring a combined five runs off of starter Tim Wakefield (3 runs) and reliever Javier Lopez (two runs).
Wakefield suffered his ninth loss putting his season record at 10-9 pitching 6 1/3 innings, giving up nine hits, six earned runs, no walks, one strikeout, and one wild pitch.
John Buck doubled to left field scoring two runners and he later scored on a passed ball by Doug Mirabelli thrown from Lopez. Mark Grudzielanek and Ross Gload pitched in with RBI singles in the inning making it 8-1.
Mike Lowell, Coco Crisp, Doug Mirabelli, and Julio Lugo gave the Boston faithful something to cheer about in the bottom of the eighth as Lowell singled with two outs and was driven in on an RBI triple to the triangle by Crisp. Mirabelli drove in Crisp from third on a single and Lugo doubled but both runners were stranded at their respective bases as J.D. Drew struck out swinging to end the inning.
Drew left five runners on base hitting from the leadoff spot and David Ortiz left five on as well as Boston hitters as a whole left 22 runners on base.
Jimmy Gobble earned the win for the Royals pitching 2/3 of an inning as starter Leo Nunez only pitched 4 innings making him not eligible for a win. Nunez did allow six hits, one run, one walk, and struck out three in the appearance.
