No carryover for Kansas City Royals on Saturday as they fall at home 7-1 to Red Sox

The Kansas City Royals snapped out of their losing streak on Friday night, but they weren’t able to build any further momentum when they took the field again a day later.

The Royals and starting pitcher Brad Keller fell victim to a game-changing four-run fifth inning by the Boston Red Sox that broke open a tie game, and the Royals couldn’t bounce back as they suffered a 7-1 loss in front of an announced 24,568 at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Royals have lost 12 of their last 14 games.

The Royals (31-38) and Red Sox will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. A win on Sunday would give the Royals their first series victory over the Red Sox since July 28-30, 2017.

“Obviously, we would have loved to have parlayed yesterday into another good game today,” Royals infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield said. “We just didn’t do enough to win today. It’s unfortunate, but move on to tomorrow.”

Keller (6-7) allowed five runs on five hits, including a home run, and three walks in five innings. Keller struck out four.

Through four innings, Keller had allowed one run on four hits and one walk. He retired seven batters in a row from the end of the second until he walked the first batter of the fifth. He entered the fifth having thrown just 58 pitches.

“Watching the first four, he’s on track there to go finish seven,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said of Keller. “He was efficient. He was attacking. He just had the one mark early on. After that, I thought he did a great job of using his movement. The ball was coming out of his hand really good.”

The Red Sox (43-28) grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Keller gave up a two-out RBI single poked into center field by Red Sox star shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Keller had just gotten Bogaerts to flail at a slider for the second strike on the previous pitch, and Keller went back to that pitch.

Bogaerts, who entered the day ranked among the top 5 in the American League in hits, batting average, OBP and slugging percentage, shortened up and got enough to smack it into center field with a runner on third base.

The Royals tied the score, 1-1, in the third inning after back-to-back singles by Nicky Lopez (2 for 4, run scored) and Merrifield put runners on the corners. Carlos Santana’s groundout allowed Lopez to score from third base.

However, the Royals couldn’t get a second run in from third base with one out as Merrifield got thrown out when he got caught between third and home when Red Sox starter Martin Perez fielded a sharply-hit grounder back up the middle.

Merrifield attempted to get in a rundown in order to give Salvador Perez time to advance to second base, but the Red Sox tagged Merrifield quickly.

“When the contact play is on, we’re looking to get a good jump at third and sort of sellout when I see a swing and put some pressure on the infield,” Merrifield said. “If he doesn’t hit it too hard or if it takes the fielder left or right, usually I’m safe. If it’s a ball right at the guy, you’re just hoping for a bad throw or something.”

That marked the second time in the first three innings Merrifield got thrown out for the second out of the inning after getting to third base with one out. Merrifield also got thrown out on a grounder to shortstop with the infield playing in during the first inning.

The Royals have been mired in a long stretch of offensive futility of late. They’re 6 for their last 68 with runners in scoring position, and they’ve been outscored 81-41 in the last 14 games.

That almost assuredly contributed to their need to force the issue with runners on third.

“You’ve got to,” Matheny said of Merrifield running on contact. “You’ve got to put the pressure on right there.”

Merrifield stole second and third to set the play up in the first inning. He stole third base in the third for his fourth-career three-steal game. He now has an AL-leading 20 stolen bases.

The score remained tied, 1-1, until Keller ran into trouble in the fifth. He walked Enrique Hernandez and then gave up a Bobby Dalbec RBI triple over the head of left fielder Hunter Dozier, who didn’t get a great read off the bat. Dalbec scored on a grounder up the first-base line that Keller picked up.

Then Keller walked Alex Verdugo on a full count in front of Red Sox slugger J.D Martinez. After Martinez fouled off a 1-0 sinker, Keller went with the pitch again. This time Martinez punished a 1-1 sinker that stayed slightly up and over the inner half of the plate.

“A leadoff walk and then a backup slider hit for a triple,” Keller said of the fifth inning. “I felt like I settled down, made a pitch right there. A squibber up the line scored a run. I didn’t think there was a play at the plate, so I just got an out. Then I got into another battle count and walked a guy. Probably just a dumb pitch selection to J.D. Martinez cost me two more runs.”

The Red Sox lead expanded to 5-1 on the Martinez two-run home run. Keller’s outing ended with that inning.

“The walks came back to bite me,” Keller said. “That’s never acceptable, especially to lead off an inning in a tight game like 1-1. I’ve got to be better than that.”

Veteran right-hander Anthony Swarzak made his Royals debut with an inning of scoreless relief.

Right-hander Jackson Kowar pitched in relief for the first time in the majors. He allowed a two-run homer by Dalbec in the third of his three innings.