Red Sox Beat Royals 10-1 Behind Crochet and Devers’ Big Performances

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Boston Red Sox secured a dominant 10-1 victory against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, showcasing impressive performances from pitcher Garrett Crochet and designated hitter Rafael Devers.

Crochet, who has had a mixed season, threw an impressive game. He struck out nine batters and allowed just one earned run over seven innings. The lefty improved his record to 4-2 with a 1.93 ERA through nine starts.

“It felt great to be back on my game,” Crochet said after the game. “I was able to keep my velocity up and get my rhythm back.”

Devers contributed significantly to the scoreline, recording four hits including three against Royals pitcher Cole Ragans. His performance included an RBI double and two RBI singles.

“Rafa has been swinging the bat well. He’s a key part of our lineup,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora stated. “He had a tough start to the season, but he is coming around.”

This game marked Devers’ 15th career four-hit game and second this season. The victory came as the Red Sox faced a Kansas City team that had been on a hot streak, winning seven consecutive games.

Trevor Story, who has been struggling at the plate, turned around a rough outing by hitting a three-run homer in the seventh inning, his first extra-base hit since April 18. Story’s blast came after he had struck out three times earlier in the game.

“It’s been a tough stretch for Trevor,” Cora said. “But that matchup in the seventh was what we needed from him.”

Former Red Sox player Hunter Renfroe, now with Kansas City, added to the excitement with two hits against Crochet, but it was not enough to turn the tide for the Royals.

The Red Sox bullpen was poised for future games, thanks to Crochet’s length outing, allowing them to rest after seven relievers pitched the previous night. They will face the Royals again on Sunday with Lucas Giolito expected to start.

First pitch for the series finale is set for 2:10 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium.