Kansas City, MO – Will Middlebrooks hit a three-run and two- run home run as Boston pounded Kansas City, 11-5, in the opener of a three- game set.
Dustin Pedroia added a two-run home run while David Ortiz belted a solo shot and scored three for the Red Sox, who snapped a five-game skid. Felix Doubront (2-1) gave up five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.
"It's been awesome. It's hard to explain," said Middlebrooks, who is hitting .381 with three homers and nine RBI since making his debut on May 2. " I was just trying to carry over what I started in Pawtucket earlier this year. It has translated pretty well."
Alex Gordon had two hits and an RBI while Jarrod Dyson added three hits and scored a run for the Royals, who have lost their past two. Jonathan Sanchez (1-2) didn't make it out of the fourth inning as he was tagged for six runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
"The starting pitching sets the tone," said Kansas City manager Ned Yost. "Sanchez again really struggled to command his fastball. His secondary stuff was decent enough, but just struggled to command his fastball."
The Sox wasted little time grabbing the lead as Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-out single in the first to score Pedroia and Middlebrooks followed with his second homer of the season, a three-run shot to right, for a 4-0 lead.
The Royals got two back in the second as a Brayan Pena groundout plated Jeff Francoeur and Chris Getz followed with a sac fly to score Mike Moustakas and make it a 4-2 game, but Ortiz led off the third with his seventh of the season.
Kansas City made it a one-run game in the bottom of the third as Gordon beat out an infield single that scored Dyson and Eric Hosmer later grounded out to score Gordon, but that was as close as it got.
Kelly Shoppach tripled to start the fourth and knock out Sanchez. Nathan Adcock took the mound and got the next batter out, but Pedroia followed with a shot to center for a 7-4 lead.
A bases loaded walk to Gordon in the seventh spelled the end of Doubront's night, but Vicente Padilla kept it from getting any closer and he got Billy Butler to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Cody Ross' two-run double in the eighth was later followed by Middlebrooks' two-run shot to account for the final score.
Game Notes
Padilla allowed three hits over 2 2/3 innings to pick up his first save of the season...Boston batted 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base...KC stranded six men on base and went 1-for-7 with RISP...Boston took five of the eight games against KC last season.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.