"The Chosen One" Allen Webster got the ball in the top of the first inning and immediately ran into trouble. Alex Gordon lined a lead-off double and Pedro Ciriaco threw Alex Escobar's grounder into the Monster Seats, allowing Gordon to score and Escobar to advance to second just like that. Webster recovered to strike out Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer. Lorenzo Cain grounded out to end the inning.
Jeremy Guthrie got the start for Kansas City and the Sox wasted a chance in the bottom of the first. Jacoby Ellsbury walked and took second on a wild pitch. Unfortunately Daniel Nava smashed a line drive right to short who doubled off Ellsbury at second for the double play. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.
Webster cruised in the top of the second inning. Mike Moustakas grounded out, Jeff Francoeur popped up and old friend George Kottaras grounded out to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second inning. Mike Napoli greeted Guthrie with a solo home run to tie the game. Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked but Will Middlebrooks popped up. Mike Carp doubled home Salty but David Ross struck out. Ciriaco grounded out to end the inning but the Sox had taken a 2-1 lead.
Webster nearly pitched a clean top of the third. Elliot Johnson whiffed and Gordon grounded out. Escobar singled but Butler popped up to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third. Ellsbury led off with a double and moved to third on the ground out by Nava. Pedroia singled home Jacoby to increase the lead 3-1. Pedroia was then foolishly thrown out trying to steal. That lost baserunner loomed large as Napoli doubled. Napoli then was inexplicably thrown out at home on the single by Saltalamachia. Had the Sox scored one more run, they may have won.
Webster kept the Sox on top in the top of the fourth inning. Hosmer grounded out but Cain was plunked. The alert Ross then threw out Cain trying to swipe second. Mouistakas flied out to end the inning. Guthrie settled down in the bottom of the fourth inning. Middlebrooks grounded out but Carp tripled into the triangle. All Ross had to do was hit the ball to the right side, but instead grounded out to third. Ciriaco grounded out to end the inning. Another wasted chance.
Right on cue, the Royals tied it in the top of the fifth. Francoeur whiffed but the light hitting Kottaras smoked a home run to cut the lead 3-2. Johnson struck out but Gordon launched a home run to tie the game. Escobar grounded out to end the inning. The Sox took the lead back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ellsbury lined out but Nava walked. Pedroia singled and Napoli singled home Nava to give the Sox a 4-3 lead, moving Pedroia to third Napoli took second on a passed ball and one more run could have been enough. Instead Saltalamacchia struck out and Middlebrooks grounded out to end the inning. Still, the Sox had the lead back.
Webster returned for the top of the fifth inning and walked Butler to begin. Billy was erased on the Hosmer fielder's choice and Cain lined out. Moustakas popped up to end the inning. A solid effort by Webster to toss 6 solid innings of 3 run ball.
Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the top of seventh and got Franceour to line out. Kottaras and Johnson both struck out to end the inning. The Sox threatened again in the bottom of the seventh against new pitcher Luke Hochevar. Nava lined out but Pedroia walked. Napoli lined out but Pedroia swiped second. Saltalamacchia grounded out to end the inning.
Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the 8th and he crapped his pants. Gordon grounded out and Escobar flied out but Butler crushed a 400 foot home run to center to tie the game. Webster was denied the win. Hosmer singled but Cain struck out to end the inning. Could the Sox rally in the bottom of the 8th? NO! Kelvin Herrera relieved Hochevar and got Middlebrooks to ground out. Carp struck out and Ross grounded out to end the inning.
Andrew Bailey got the call in the top of the ninth inning. He got Moustakas to fly out before striking out both Francoeur and Kottaras to end the inning. The Sox failed to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth. Ciriaco struck out but Ellsbury singled and stole second. Nava struck out and Pedroia was intentionally walked. Unfortunately Napoli couldn't make the Royals pay as he flied out to end the inning. On to extra innings we go.
Andrew Miller got the ball in the top of the 10th and pissed himself. Miguel Tejada pinch hit for Johnson and looked at strike three. Gordon singled and Escobar walked to put runners on. Miller recovered to strike out Butler but Hosmer hit one in the hole at short to load the bases. Miller walked in Cain to give the Royals a 5-4 lead. Moustakas grounded out to end the inning with the damage done. Royals closer Greg Holland got the ball in the bottom of the 10th inning with Salvador Perez catching and Chris Getz at second base. Holland put on a clinic by striking out Saltalamacchia, Middlebrooks AND Carp to end the game. The Royals had won 5-4 and swept the double-header.
Jackass of the Night is Koji Uehara. Yes Miller lost the game but had Uehara not given up the home run, the game wouldn't have gone into extra innings to begin with.
The Good:
Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4 with a walk, run scored and a stolen base.
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base and a run scored.
Mike Napoli was 3 for 5 including a home run, 2 total rbi's and a run scored.
Mike Carp was 2 for 5 with an rbi.
Allen Webster pitched well against the Royals allowing just 2 earned runs in 6 innings while striking out 5.
Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 7th inning
Andrew Bailey pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.
David Ross was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Andrew Miller took the loss by allowing the go-ahead run to score in the top of the 10th.
The Ugly;
Daniel Nava was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Pedro Ciriaco was 0 for 3 with an error but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Well today was a momentum killer. After riding high following the Nava home run yesterday, the Royals bitchslapped the Red Sox back to reality with a double-header sweep. Still, the Sox were supposed to lose with dignity and they weren't done until the final out in either game. Webster showed why he's "The Chosen One" and should continue to improve. The Sox still have bullpen issues in the wake of Joel Hanrahan's injury so that needs to be looked at going forward. Tomorrow night the Sox begin a set with the Oakland A's. Felix Doubront goes mano e mano with AJ Griffin at Fenway Park.
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