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Red Sox outslug Royals

Jul 27, 2011 - 7:35 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - David Ortiz went 4-for-5 with a season-high five RBI as the Boston Red Sox outlasted the Kansas City Royals, 13-9, in the second contest of a four-game set.

Dustin Pedroia added four hits, an RBI and three runs scored, extending his career-high hitting streak to 23 games. He was a home run short of the cycle as Boston improved to 17-4 in the month of July.

"Our offense did a great job, and we needed to," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "We got behind early, those are hard ways to win."

Alfredo Aceves (6-1) was given the win after 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for starter Andrew Miller. Miller gave up seven runs -- five earned -- on nine hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Royals outfielder Mitch Maier pitched the bottom of the eighth inning with his team trailing 13-7. It was the 10th time in team history Kansas City used a position player as a pitcher and the first since Tony Pena Jr. pitched on July 21, 2008.

Maier gave up one hit, a double to Ortiz, but no runs.

"An opportunity to pitch in Fenway Park...it's an opportunity I'll never forget," Maier said. "It's something I'll remember forever."

KC's Billy Butler also almost hit for the cycle, needing just a triple. He finished the day with three hits, three RBI and two runs scored in the Royals' second loss in three games.

Nathan Adcock (1-1) took the loss, allowing four runs -- three earned -- in just one-third of an inning of relief. Danny Duffy started the game, but lasted just 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks.

Kansas City jumped out to an early lead after back-to-back one-out singles by Melky Cabrera and Butler put runners on first and second in the first inning. Eric Hosmer followed by sending a double over the head of center fielder Darnell McDonald, scoring Cabrera. Jeff Francoeur then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to give the Royals a 2-0 advantage.

But Boston tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. McDonald led off with a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on Adrian Gonzalez's sacrifice fly to left field. Pedroia followed with a triple high off the center field wall and crossed the plate on Ortiz's base hit into left.

The Royals loaded the bases with no outs in the second on a Mike Aviles single, a Matt Treanor walk and a throwing error by Miller on an attempted sacrifice bunt by Alcides Escobar. It looked as if the Royals would walk away empty handed after Miller got Alex Gordon on a pop up to short and Cabrera on a liner to short that almost resulted in an inning-ending double play, but Butler's ground-rule double over the right-field wall gave Kansas City back its two-run lead.

Boston answered again, this time to take the lead, in the third inning. Marco Scutaro led off the frame with a double and Gonzalez followed with a walk. A one-run double by Pedroia and Ortiz's two-run double gave the Red Sox a 5-4 lead.

The lead was short-lived, though, as Gordon hammered a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Two batters later Butler sent a solo shot over the Green Monster, giving the Royals a 7-5 advantage.

Gonzalez lined a two-out single into center field in the bottom half of the fourth and Duffy was replaced on the mound by Adcock, who loaded the bases with a single by Pedroia and a walk to Ortiz. Carl Crawford followed with a walk of his own to plate Gonzalez, but Adcock got Jason Varitek to fly out to center to keep it a one-run game.

With runners on first and second in the fifth, pinch-hitter Drew Sutton laid down what would have been a sacrifice bunt. But Adcock's throw to first deflected off second baseman Aviles' glove as he went to cover the bag, and the ball went back to the wall, scoring Josh Reddick and pinch-hitter Jacoby Ellsbury. Sutton advanced to third on the error.

After a Scutaro walk, Adcock was removed for Blake Wood. Gonzalez greeted the righty with an RBI single through the left side of the infield. Pedroia singled to load the bases, and Ortiz singled in two more. Crawford then hit a swinging bunt to fill the bags again before Reddick's sacrifice fly brought home Pedroia to cap the six-run inning as Boston took a 12-7 lead.

Varitek's solo shot in the seventh extended the lead for the Red Sox.

Mike Moustakas and Treanor added run-scoring singles in the ninth for Kansas City to finalize the scoring.

Game Notes

Boston placed outfielder J.D. Drew on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 20, and recalled infielder Drew Sutton from Pawtucket...Boston third baseman Kevin Youkilis sat out the game with an injured right foot he suffered Monday...Varitek's home run in the seventh inning was the switch-hitter's sixth this year and his first batting on the right-side of the plate.