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Ortiz, Pedroia power Red Sox past Royals

Jul 28, 2011 - 4:07 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - David Ortiz continued his power surge with a grand slam and Dustin Pedroia extended his career-best hitting streak to 24 games, all part of Boston's 12-5 rout of the Kansas City Royals.

Ortiz, who had four hits and five RBI in Tuesday's 13-9 triumph, went deep off Bruce Chen on Wednesday. The fourth inning homer gave him 1,000 RBI in a Red Sox uniform.

Pedroia, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, stretched his hitting streak by smacking a homer off Chen in the first inning.

"Last night the middle of the order had a bunch of hits. Tonight I think it was 1-2-3, pretty significant contribution," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

The top three hitters of Jacoby Ellsbury, Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez combined to go 9-for-13 with seven RBI.

Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer in the top of the first off John Lackey, but Ellsbury went deep off the pole in right to start the bottom of the frame.

Pedroia was up next and homered on a 2-2 pitch, smacking the seventh pitch of his at-bat over the Green Monster. It was his 14th homer of the year.

The hitting streak for Pedroia is the longest in the American League this season and the longest ever for a Red Sox second baseman. Del Pratt hit in 23 straight during the 1922 season.

Lackey (9-8) surrendered a season-high 11 hits along with four runs -- three earned -- over 5 2/3 innings to win his fourth straight start.

Gonzalez drove in three runs for the AL East leaders, who are 18-4 this month.

Chen (5-4) was charged with 10 hits and 10 runs over four innings for the Royals, who won the opener of this four-game series, 3-1 in 14 innings on Monday.

"He wasn't anywhere near as sharp," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He really struggled to command the strike zone, had a 114 pitches after four innings and just couldn't command the ball and throw it where he wanted to and Bruce is usually pretty good at doing that."

Hosmer knocked in four and Billy Butler belted a solo homer in the fifth inning in defeat.

Boston took the lead with a three-run second and widened the margin in the fourth. Ellsbury walked with the bases full in the second and Pedroia followed with a sacrifice fly. A Gonzalez grounder plated another run.

Yamaico Navarro singled in Darnell McDonald in the fourth. Later in the frame, Ortiz blasted a pitch from Chen over the wall in right field. It was the ninth grand slam for Ortiz in a Red Sox uniform, tying him with Rico Petrocelli for second-most all-time in team history. Ted Williams is first with 17.

"I try to be selective, no matter what," Ortiz said. "Pitchers aren't trying to walk you in that situation, but they also don't want to give you four runs. they always try not to make a mistake and you have to be ready."

Gonzalez singled in a run in the sixth and eighth. Hosmer had an RBI single in the eighth for KC.

Game Notes

The 2007 AL Rookie of the Year and 2008 AL MVP, Pedroia has also reached safely in a career-high 36 straight contests, the longest by a Red Sox since Kevin Youkilis' 44-game on-base streak during the 2008 campaign. The 36-game stretch is the longest by a Red Sox second baseman since Jerry Remy did so in 37 contests in a row from April 20 - June 1, 1979...Each team had 16 hits. Boston has 10 or more hits in each of its last 11 home games, the longest such streak in the majors this season. The club's last longer streak was a 20- game run in 1950...Boston has also won 11 of the last 15 at home against the Royals, who left 14 men on base Wednesday.