Kansas City lived on solo shots to stay in the game before eventually jumping on Zack Burdi in the seventh. I’m not sure what exactly Rick Renteria was thinking but his decision to leave Burdi in backfired big time. Though they got three back in the ninth, the Sox’s rally fell short as they lose 9-6. Their record now drops to 20-13, while the Royals improve to 13-20.
W: Jake Newberry (1-0) | L: Zack Burdi (0-1)
Notable Performances
Tim Anderson: 4-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, run
Tim Anderson quietly collected four hits, two of which were doubles. His final hit, the second double, is what brought around one of three runs in the ninth.
Edwin Encarnacion: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, run
The parrot made an afternoon stroll around the bases as Edwin Encarnacion belted his 6th homer of the season. The longball also marked his 420th career home run, which gave the Sox a 3-1 lead at the time.
Nick Madrigal: 2-for-4, RBI, run
Nick Madrigal made his first appearance since landing on the injured list with a separated shoulder a few weeks back. In true Madrigal fashion, he made contact with a pitch way out of the zone to bring in the first run of the game.
In case you’re curious, this had an exit velocity 53.3 mph.
Dylan Cease: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Dylan Cease struggled with command all afternoon, throwing just 45 of his 93 pitches for strikes. The 48 balls, on the other hand, are what contributed to the six walks and shortened outing. Luckily, Jimmy Cordero came on and induced a double-play in the fifth to limit any further damage.
Zack Burdi: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
Not a positive performance by any means, but still worth noting.
Other Notables: Luis Robert (2-for-4, 2 runs), Steve Cishek (1.0 IP, 0 H, 2 K)
Moment of the Game
Today’s game-changing moment came in the seventh when Kansas City tied and then regained the lead by scoring five runs. They would carry the momentum into the following inning where they would score two more.
Here’s how the seventh inning went down:
Player of the Game
Tim Anderson’s four-hit performance earns him today’s honors.
Looking Ahead
The Sox will go for another series win tomorrow behind a starter who has yet to be named. On the opposing side, the Royals will send left-hander Kris Bubic (0-4, 5.96 ERA) to the mound. First pitch is at 1:10 PM CT.
Be sure to follow us on social media @SoxOn35th for more updates!
Just another example of Renteria’s poor in-game management of this team. There is a reason the Cubs fired Renteria and it is really showing up this season. The Sox needed to win this game game and he uses Burdi in a big game when he has a rested bull pen full of quality pitchers that won’t let the game get out of hand. Along with this, the lineup moves (moving players around in the order) have made no sense at times and batting weak hitters at the top of the lineup is just plain stupid. Plus, he leaves pitchers, like Burdi, in too long when they clearly are a disaster. The guy clearly is incompetent.