Royals 7, Red Sox 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Designated hitter Kendrys Morales and catcher Salvador Perez homered as the Kansas City Royals came from behind to defeat the Boston Red Sox 7-4 Saturday.
The Royals batted around in a five-run fifth to take the lead after trailing 4-1. Morales’ home run with center fielder Lorenzo Cain aboard put the Royals ahead to stay. It was Morales’ 32nd birthday.
Right-hander Edinson Volquez (7-4) won his third straight start, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks.
The Royals’ 11-hit attack included third baseman Mike Moustakas with two hits, a sacrifice fly and two RBIs. Cain also had two hits and stole three bases.
Right-hander Rick Porcello (4-8) lost his sixth straight start, giving up six runs on eight hits, two walks and two hit batters.
Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval left with a left ankle sprain, while catcher Blake Swihart exited with a left foot sprain.
Center fielder Mookie Betts, who had a career-high four hits Friday, drove Edinson Volquez's third pitch over the left-center wall for his seventh home run. It was the first leadoff homer for the Red Sox this season. Betts also had the previous one, Sept. 21 at Baltimore.
Perez homered in the second to tie the score at 1.
The Red Sox regained the lead in the third as Swihart led off with a double and scored on shortstop Brock Holt's double.
The Royals had two runners thrown out at the plate in the first three innings. In the first, center fielder Lorenzo Cain was thrown out on an attempted double steal. In the third, shortstop Alcides Escobar tried to score from third on Cain's grounder to Holt but was caught in a rundown.
The Red Sox scored a bizarre run in the fifth. With Betts on second, second baseman Dustin Pedroia dribbled one a few feet in front of the plate. Perez pounced on it and threw out Pedroia at first, but the speedy Betts raced home and beat the throw back to Perez.
They added another run in the inning when left fielder Hanley Ramirez's two-out single scored Holt, pushing Boston's lead to 4-1.
The Royals answered with a five-run fifth to take a 6-4 lead. The big hit came from designated hitter Kendrys Morales, who spanked a two-out, two-run home run on his 32nd birthday.
The Royals were aided by a balk by Porcello, right fielder Alex Rios being hit by a pitch and third baseman Pablo Sandoval's throwing error. The inning also included a sacrifice fly by Moustakas and an RBI single by Escobar.
Sandoval was led off the field by the trainer after the errant throw, his team-leading 10th error. He suffered a sprained left ankle. He was replaced by Travis Shaw.
BSwihart later left with a sprained left foot. He went 2-for-2.
NOTES: Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia, who had missed three of the last four games because of left knee inflammation, returned to the lineup and batted third for only the second time this season. ... The Royals optioned RHP Yohan Pino to Triple-A Omaha after he surrendered six runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings Friday in a loss to the Red Sox. ... The Royals recalled RHP Aaron Brooks from Triple-A Omaha, where he was 4-3 with a 3.42 ERA. ... LHP Danny Duffy will come off the Royals' disabled list Wednesday and start against the Seattle Mariners. ... Red Sox LHP Wade Miley will start Sunday. The Royals have lost five straight against left-handers. Royals RHP Chris Young will start the homestand finale.