KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Bobby Witt Jr. hit two home runs, a double and four RBIs as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-4 on Wednesday night to save the final game of a three-game series.
With the win, the Royals moved 1½ games ahead of Boston in the race for a wildcard spot in the American League.
In the AL Central, Kansas City moved to within half a game of the second-place Minnesota Twins, who lost to the Chicago Cubs. The Royals are four games behind the Cleveland Guardians, who were defeated by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a doubleheader.
Witt had his fourth multi-home run game of the season, putting the Royals on the scoreboard with his 21st long shot in the first inning. Witt’s second home run was a 421-footer to center field in the sixth inning. He also added a two-run double.
The Royals have hit a home run in 13 consecutive games, which is the second-longest streak in team history.
Cole Ragans (9-7) allowed four runs, one of them earned, on six hits in 6.5 innings, managed seven strikeouts and two walks to take the win.
Kutter Crawford (7-9) suffered the loss after pitching 3⅔ innings, allowing six runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and four walks.
After Witt’s home run in the first inning, the Royals scored another run in the second inning on a two-out single by Michael Massey, scoring MJ Melendez.
The Red Sox took the lead in the third inning when Romy Gonzalez hit a three-run home run into the left-field bullpen with two outs. All three runs were unearned, as Ceddanne Rafaela reached base with no outs on an error by Massey. Boston’s Danny Jansen hit a home run, his seventh of the season, into the same bullpen in the fourth inning.
The Royals regained the lead with five runs in the fourth inning. Kansas City scored its first run of the inning on a wild pitch before Witt’s double to the outfield brought in two runs. Vinnie Pasquantino then hit his 17th home run of the season – a two-run shot – against reliever Brennan Bernardino, extending his hitting streak to 11 games.
