When the Red Sox landed in Kansas City to start this week, they were probably hoping for a sweep. But not this kind.
Somehow, the Sox have managed to lose the first two games in their visit with the last-place Royals, and now they're just watching the Yankees' AL East magic number tick away. The Sox have two games left in Kansas City, where they hope to salvage a split.
When and Where
8:10 p.m. ET (NESN), September 23, 2009
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
Records
Red Sox (89-61, 2nd place in AL East)
Royals (63-88, 5th place in AL Central)
Skinny
The Red Sox were at a loss for hits on Tuesday night, but most teams are when the man on the mound is Zack Greinke. They managed just two in Greinke's six innings on the mound, and they couldn't get on the scoreboard until the eighth inning, when Victor Martinez plated a run with a groundout. The Sox' offense will look to turn things around on Wednesday night.
Starting Lineups
| Red Sox | Royals |
| Jacoby Ellsbury, CF | David DeJesus, LF |
| Dustin Pedroia, 2B | Mitch Maier, CF |
| Victor Martinez, C | Billy Butler, 1B |
| Kevin Youkilis, 1B | Brayan Pena, DH |
| Jason Bay, LF | Alberto Callaspo, 2B |
| David Ortiz, DH | Mark Teahen, 3B |
| Mike Lowell, 3B | John Buck, C |
| J.D. Drew, RF | Alex Gordon, 3B |
| Alex Gonzalez, SS | Yuniesky Bettancourt, SS |
Starting Pitchers
RHP Josh Beckett (15-6, 3.80 ERA) vs. Luke Hochevar (7-10, 5.79 ERA)
It appears that the Sox have their workhorse back. Beckett went eight innings in his start against the Angels last Thursday, and while he finished with a no-decision, the Sox were no doubt encouraged by his seven strikeouts and zero walks. The Sox' ace only has two or three starts to go before October gets underway, and a last-minute tune-up is in order.
As for Hochevar, he may have been drafted higher than Beckett (he went first overall in 2006; Beckett was No. 2 in 1999), but he hasn't had anywhere near as good a season. The Royals' righty finally got a win last Friday, for the first time in 10 starts, but he's still got an awful record and a high ERA. Better luck next year, Luke.
Stat Sheet
Red Sox
The Red Sox are 20-12 against AL Central opponents this season.
They lead the AL with 316 doubles.
Josh Beckett is undefeated in six career starts against the Royals with a 1.90 ERA.
Kevin Youkilis is hitting .308, tied for ninth in the AL.
Dustin Pedroia has 174 hits, 10th in the AL.
Jason Bay has 36 home runs, third in the AL.
Jacoby Ellsbury is 3-for-9 in his career against Luke Hochevar. He has a triple and a walk.
Victor Martinez has a .404 on-base percentage on the road.
Alex Gonzalez is hitting .300 in September.
Mike Lowell has a .364 on-base percentage against the Royals in his career, but he's only homered once in 92 at-bats.
J.D. Drew is slugging .475 on the road. Thirteen of his 21 home runs have come away from Fenway Park.
David Ortiz has an .827 OPS since the All-Star break.
Royals
The Royals have a minus-116 run differential.
Luke Hochevar is 2-7 with a 6.15 ERA since the All-Star break.
Alberto Callaspo has seven triples, tied for eighth in the AL.
Billy Butler has 68 extra-base hits, tied for seventh in the AL.
David DeJesus is a .221 career hitter against the Red Sox.
Mitch Maier is 1-for-5 against Josh Beckett.
In four at-bats against Beckett, Alex Gordon has a single, a double and two strikeouts.
Mike Jacobs has an .826 home OPS.
Black and Blue
Red Sox
Junichi Tazawa has been shut down for the season. He has a mild left groin strain.
Tim Wakefield pitched Monday night despite battling a fragmented disk in his back. The timing of his next start after Monday is unknown.
Miguel Gonzalez has been on the 60-day disabled list since March 27 as he recovers from right elbow surgery.
Royals
David DeJesus made his return Tuesday night from a sore right ankle. He went 2-for-3 with a walk.
Kyle Davies is day-to-day with an oblique injury.
Jose Guillen is out for the season with a strained right hamstring.
This Date In Red Sox History
In 1957, Ted Williams managed a bizarre statistical anomaly in a game against the Washington Senators: He scored three runs despite only getting one hit. In the first inning, he singled and scored; he later walked three times and was hit by a pitch. Teddy Ballgame was on base five times but had one at-bat. The Red Sox won, 9-4.
Overheard
"Red Sox."
–Former Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, who appeared as a guest on HBO's "Joe Buck Live" on Tuesday night. When asked for his World Series pick, the retired hurler answered without hesitation.
Press Box
Red Sox
Paul Byrd couldn't beat the Royals.
Tim Wakefield's out of a starting job.
Winning the AL East now looks like a pipe dream for the Red Sox.
Royals
The Royals shut down the Red Sox.
Zack Greinke deserves the Cy Young Award.
Even the Red Sox loved Greinke.
MLB
The Yankees have clinched a playoff spot.
The Rays have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Albert Pujols is the clear choice for NL MVP.
Outlook
The Sox are better than this. They're too good to keep losing to the last-place Kansas City Royals, and they're bound to prove it before long. With Zack Greinke, the Royals' toughest starter, out of the way, perhaps the Sox will find a way to turn the bats back on. Another win would be a solid boost to a Sox club still looking to trim that magic number and inch closer to an AL wild card berth.
