Kansas City, MO – Rafael Devers continued his offensive tear, crushing a towering 440-foot home run that broke a 1-1 tie and propelled the Boston Red Sox to a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. The win was made even sweeter for Boston as right-hander Lucas Giolito pitched impressively into the seventh inning, securing his first victory in a Red Sox uniform and his first major league win since September 2023.
Giolito (1-1) delivered a strong performance over 6 2/3 innings, allowing just two singles and one unearned run. This outing marked a significant personal triumph for Giolito, who missed the entirety of the previous season while recovering from a partially torn elbow ligament. His last win in the big leagues came as a member of the Cleveland Guardians.
Devers, who again occupied the designated hitter role just two days after Red Sox owner John Henry visited Kansas City to address the slugger’s reluctance to play first base, backed up his stellar 4-for-4 showing on Saturday with another impactful swing. In the sixth inning, with one out and a runner on first, Devers connected with the first pitch he saw from Royals starter Seth Lugo, sending a no-doubt shot to dead center field for his seventh home run of the season.
The Royals initially took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Giolito’s throw on a Kyle Isbel bunt went awry, allowing Drew Waters to score. However, Giolito quickly regained his composure, retiring the side in order for the remainder of his outing.
Wilyer Abreu provided the initial spark for the Red Sox offense, tying the game in the fourth inning with a mammoth 430-foot solo home run to right field. The longball was Abreu’s tenth of the year and snapped an 0-for-13 slump for the outfielder, who also contributed two singles for a three-hit day.
Veteran closer Aroldis Chapman sealed the victory for Boston, pitching a scoreless ninth inning to record his sixth save of the season.
Lugo (3-4) delivered his fifth consecutive quality start for the Royals, allowing three runs over six innings, but ultimately was tagged with the loss. The Kansas City offense struggled to find answers against Giolito and the Red Sox bullpen, managing just four singles in the contest. This loss marks the first time the Royals have dropped consecutive games since their six-game skid from April 14th to 19th.
Despite facing an early threat with two runners on and no outs in the third inning, Giolito demonstrated his resilience by inducing two groundouts and striking out dangerous hitter Bobby Witt Jr. to escape the jam without further damage.
Devers continues to be a potent force in the Red Sox lineup, having now reached base safely in eight of his last nine plate appearances.
Looking ahead, the Kansas City Royals will hit the road to face the Houston Astros on Monday. Right-hander Michael Wacha (2-4, 2.98 ERA) is slated to start for the Royals, while the Astros are expected to counter with Ryan Gusto (3-1, 2.93 ERA). Pregame coverage on Superstar Country 102.5 FM & 1530 AM KQNK will begin at 6:30 p.m. CDT, with the first pitch from Minute Maid Park set for 7:10 p.m. CDT.
