Rodriguez took the mound for the top of the first inning and immediately crapped his pants. Whit Merrifield singled and Jorge Soler walked. Mike Moustakas was plunked to load the bases. Salvador Perez walked to drive in a run. Rodriguez did manage to strike out Cheslor Cuthbert but Lucas Duda walked for another run. Jon Jay hit a ground ball that ate up Eduardo Nunez to allow Soler to score with another run. Alex Gordon banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 3-0.
The Sox did nothing against Royals starter Jimmy Hammel in the bottom of the first inning. Andrew Benintendi lined out to center, Hanley Ramirez flied out to right and JD Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning.
Rodriguez came out for the top of the second inning and got Alcides Escobar to fly out to center on the first pitch. Merrifield whiffed on 3 pitches but Soler took advantage of Nunez' bad knee to beat out an infield single. Moustakas had to leave the game and Abraham Almonte pinch hit for him only to fly out to right to end the inning. The Sox somehow got a run in the bottom of the second when Mitch Moreland homered to cut the lead. That was it as Xander Bogaerts flied out to center, Rafael Devers also flied out to center and Nunez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.
Rodriguez whiffed Perez to start the top of the third before Cuthbert flied out to center. Duda flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the third inning. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first and Christian Vazquez grounded out to short, but Benintendi singled. Ramirez hit a ball into the right field corner that got lodged underneath the wall so Benintendi had to stay at third. Martinez walked to load the bases and Moreland took a gutsy full count walk to make it 3-2. Bogaerts got a 3-2 meatball down the middle and he crushed it for a grand slam to give the Sox the lead. Devers looked at strike three to end the inning but the Sox pounced for a 6-3 lead.
The incompetent Rodriguez damn near gave it all back in the top of the fourth inning. Jay whiffed but Gordon was hit with a pitch. Escobar doubled home Gordon and Merrifield doubled home Escobar. Soler and Almonte whiffed to end the inning but that was it for Rodriguez. He lasted just four innings and gave up 5 runs but left with a 6-5 lead.
The Sox got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fourth although Nunez popped up to second to start. JBJ walked and Vazquez singled him to third before JBJ scored on the sac fly by Benintendi. Ramirez grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was 7-5 Sox.
Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez (4-0, 2.05 ERA) took over for the top of the fifth inning and cruised. Perez flied out to right, Cuthbert grounded out to short and Duda whiffed to end the inning. The Sox added another insurance run in the bottom of the fifth as Martinez doubled to start. Moreland flied out to center but Bogaerts singled Martinez to third. Devers whiffed but Nunez singled home Martinez to chase Hammel. Tim Hill took over and JBJ grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 8-5.
Velazquez kept the Royals off the board in the top of the sixth inning as he whiffed Jay to start. Gordon whiffed but Escobar singled. Merrifield grounded into a force to end the inning. Scott Barlow came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth as Vazquez froze for strike three to start. Benintendi flied out to left but Ramirez singled. Martinez grounded into a force to end the inning.
Carson Smith took over for the top of the seventh inning and got Soler to fly out to center to start. Almonte was rung up on what should have been ball four but Perez singled to left. Cuthbert whiffed to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the seventh inning as Moreland doubled and Bogaerts singled him to third. Devers grounded out into the shift to erase Bogaerts but Moreland scored to increase the lead. Nunez was retired on a squibber in front of the mound but Devers made it to second. JBJ hit a routine grounder to Cuthbert at third but he booted it, scoring Devers on the error. Vazquez lined out to third to end the inning but it was 10-5 Red Sox.
Brian Johnson took over for the top of the eighth inning and got Duda to pop up to second at start. Jay lined out to left and Gordon froze for strike three to end the inning. The Sox almost scored again in the bottom of the eighth inning although Benintendi flied out to left to start. Ramirez grounded out to first but Martinez and Moreland stroked back to back singles. Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Johnson ran into trouble in the top of the ninth when Escobar and Merrifield stroked back to back doubles to cut into the lead. Johnson recovered to get Soler to fly out to center, Almonte to line out to center and Perez on strikes to end the game. The Sox ended April with a 21-7 record and won this game 10-6.
Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His grand slam turned the game around and gave the Sox the lead they would not relinquish.
The Good:
Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.
Mitch Moreland was 3 for 4 with a walk two total rbis and 3 total runs scored including a solo home run.
Hector Velazquez got the win by throwing 2 scoreless innings.
Carson Smith pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
The Bad:
Eduardo Rodriguez sucked by giving up 5 runs in just 4 innings on 5 hits and 3 walks.
The Ugly:
Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored.
Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.
Brian Johnson gave up a run in two innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
Its a good thing the Red Sox ran smack into one of the worst pitching teams in the American League with Nunez hobbled, Holt out, Betts out and the black hole in the bottom of the order. Rodriguez stunk but Velazquez picked up the pieces big time. If Rodriguez and Pomeranz don't discover their true talent, this year is going to be tougher than it should be. Dustin Pedroia and Mookie Betts can't come back fast enough because the bottom of the order is useless right now. Getting the hobbled Nunez off second base and guys like Tzu-Wei Lin out of the lineup will increase the Sox odds of scoring. The win gave the Sox a 21-7 record to end the month of April, their best start since going 20-8 in 2013. Tomorrow night Chris Sale (2-1, 2.31 ERA) goes for the Sox opposite Jakob Junis at 7:07 PM at Fenway Park.
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