Gasper keeps homering while Gray turns in another quality start

BOSTON -- For the final four innings on Friday night at Fenway Park, the Red Sox were looking for that one big hit to turn the game -- and their week -- around.

But it continued to elude them, as the Sox dropped their third straight game in a 3-2 loss to the Royals in the opener of a three-game series.

However, the bigger issue was the Sox leaving runners in scoring position in three of the first four innings, and not providing enough run support for ace Sonny Gray.

On the night, the Sox were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position while leaving eight men on base.

“We need to do more, particularly in the early part of the game,” said Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. “We're getting some action late. Again, it’s not for lack of baserunners. We're creating opportunities, but not taking advantage of them. But we will.”

After losing the final two games of a three-game set to the Angels, who have the worst record in the American League, Boston hoped for a rebound against the Royals.

Perhaps that will still happen on Saturday and Sunday.

In the big picture, the Red Sox (80-68) remain in strong position to make it to the postseason. They have a firm grip on the second AL Wild Card spot, leading the Guardians (75-73) by five games. With Willson Contreras due back as soon as Sunday and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela likely coming back at some point next week, the Sox have a chance to finish strong.

“We're in a really good spot right now, and when those guys come back, we’re gonna be even better,” said right fielder Wilyer Abreu. “So, just wait for them to come back and try to win the games when they're still on the IL.”

Here are some other takeaways from a tight loss at Fenway.

Mickey mashes another one

The out-of-nowhere power tear for Mickey Gasper continued on Friday night at Fenway Park, as he put the Red Sox on the board by belting a changeup from Seth Lugo into Boston’s bullpen in right-center field with one out in the fifth. In Gasper’s first callup from Triple-A Worcester this season, he had no homers in 119 plate appearances.

It has been a different story for Gasper in his second go-around. His homer Friday was his ninth in 79 plate appearances dating back to Aug. 17. Gasper’s blast gave the Red Sox their only burst of momentum of the night, as Abreu slimmed the deficit to 3-2 later in the inning with a double off the Green Monster that scored Adley Rutschman from first.

“He continues to take good at bats,” said Tracy. “That kind of got us started. We weren't doing a whole lot up to that point, so that got us started. It got us a little closer, but he continues to take really good at bats from the left side of the plate.”

Gray grits out quality start

Red Sox ace Sonny Gray didn’t have close to his best stuff on Friday, which makes the fact that it was a quality start (six innings, three runs, two walks, five strikeouts) all the more impressive.

The Royals came out swinging against the veteran righty, scoring one in the first inning and two in the third, making solid contact for much of the night. But Gray (17-5, 2.76 ERA) put up zeroes in his final three frames.

“I think I needed to get to my sweeper earlier,” said Gray. “I'm not going to go too deep into it, but it was just early contact. And I think in the first three innings, I was 30 something pitches, maybe like five or six balls, and they were just swinging and putting good swings on him. And then after that it was, unfortunately, too late.”

Story’s double nearly ignites Red Sox

While Trevor Story looked like he was searching for his swing for most of the night, he came up with a 104.6-mph laser high off the wall in left with one out in the eighth. It was hit so hard that Story was in danger of being tagged out at second. But he made a brilliant swim move and got in there safely, a call that was confirmed upon review.

While the Monster can obviously be a big benefit, it was hindrance on this particular hit for Story, given that it would have been a home run in 20 of MLB’s 30 ballparks, per Statcast.

“Yeah, just got ‘Monstered’ a little bit, but that's baseball,” said Story.

Nick Sogard brought brief cheers when he followed Story’s double with a fly ball to deep right, but Royals outfielder John Rave caught up with it for the key second out, and Caleb Durbin struck out, stranding the tying run on third. Sogard’s drive would have been a homer in 15 out of 30 MLB parks.