Red Sox 4, Royals 3: A Twilight Zone Victory

Look, if Joe Castiglione says he’s never seen it happen, I doubt it’s ever happened.

In the top of the second inning, Kyle Isbel skied a fly ball to left field, sending Masataka Yoshida back, and back, and back...and then the ball disappeared.

Stuck in the red lamp glass of the first out marker in the Green Monster. I was a little terrified when Yoshida reached in to get that ball between broken glass and most likely a scalding hot bulb illuminated inside, but in the end, it’s a ground-rule double that actually saved a really important run for Boston. In the bottom of the frame, Triston Casas did this:

Triston Casas can’t stop ripping the cover off the ball since the All-Star Break. I wouldn’t be so sure doesn’t get to 25 homers, let alone 30 by season's end with his pace.

How about this for weirdness too, again involving Yoshida? He skies a fly ball down the right-field line that both right fielder Drew Waters but mainly second baseman Michael Massey is chasing after. All of a sudden, Massey throws his hands up as he’s completely lost it; it bounces just fair, and Masa races into second with a double. That would be what broke this game open for the Red Sox.

Alex Verdugo doubles to bring in two runs, Reese McGuire brings home another yet with more baserunning blunders that lead to an inning-ending out at home. But suddenly, down 2-1, now it’s 4-2 Red Sox. The pitching staff handled it beautifully (mostly) from there, save a late solo HR off Kenley Jansen.

There’s a little more confidence going forward. No more bullpen games for a while. Paxton tomorrow, Sale Friday, Bello Saturday, Crawford Sunday. Whitlock rejoins the group this weekend hopefully, and Houck meets the team in DC by this time next week. I know there’s one more against KC tomorrow, but this was a solid win to hopefully get everyone back on the right track.

FanGraphs

Three Studs

Triston Casas

Only one hit, but as mentioned above, he’s crushing the ball right now. You can’t help but love this both for his confidence and development.

Reese McGuire

Yeah, he had the baserunning blunder in the fourth. But how about some very impressive pop time in the ninth to nab Dairon Blanco at second by literal inches? If I gave props to Connor Wong for it recently, I can’t not for McGuire too.

Pablo Reyes

You go 3-for-3 and make a crucial tag on a pickoff at second, you get a mention here.

Three Duds

Trevor Story

For all the timing wins and good stats Story had in his rehab stints, he needs to get up to speed at the Major League level still. Needs to get his first hit!

Luis Urias

Not that he hasn’t been solid defensively, but he hasn’t impressed with the bat yet.

Jarren Duran

He was fighting it a little tonight against Jordan Lyles, who tossed eight fairly strong innings for the Royals.

Play of the Game

It goes to Alex Verdugo’s wonky two-run double that went right off of the palm of MJ Melendez’s glove.