Orlando leads charge as Royals top Red Sox

KANSAS CITY -- Paulo Orlando tripled, homered and drove in four runs, and Eric Hosmer homered as well as the Royals topped the Red Sox, 8-4, on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium and moved to 19-19 on the season.
Right-hander Yordano Ventura went 5 2/3 innings for the Royals, giving up four runs while walking one and striking out five. Boston's Rick Porcello saw his streak of 15 straight starts of going at least six innings come to an end -- he lasted five-plus innings and gave up eight hits and five runs (four earned).
"I thought he was fantastic," Royals manager Ned Yost said of Ventura. "Four-seam fastball at 98 miles an hour, good two-seamer, good curveball, good changeup … I thought he threw the ball really well. That's as good as I've seen him throw all year long."

Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his hitting streak to 22 games -- the longest in the Major Leagues this season -- with an RBI double in the second inning.
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MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Paulo Triples is back: Orlando became the fastest player in Major League history last season to record five triples -- doing so in his first seven games -- and he was back at it Tuesday. Orlando, vying for the starting right-field job, slammed a triple into right-center in the third inning and scored on Alcides Escobar's groundout. That was Orlando's first triple of the season. Orlando also delivered a two-run single in the fourth. His two-run blast in the eighth put the game away. Orlando, who had three hits, matched a career high in RBIs and came within a double of hitting for the cycle.

Yost said he will ride the hot hand with Orlando in right now.
"Yes, absolutely," Yost said. "That's what you try to do, try to find someone hot for a little bit and you just ride it."
Shaw's shot gives Red Sox life: Down 5-1 in the top of the sixth, Shaw put the Red Sox back in the game with one big swing, scorching a two-out, three-run homer to right. Shaw's sixth home run of the season traveled 391 feet, according to Statcast™. Dustin Pedroia (single) and Hanley Ramirez (hit by pitch) set the table for Shaw, who jumped on Ventura's 96 mph fastball. Shaw had three of Boston's eight hits in the game.

"I felt like we had a good shot going forward," said Shaw. "Seems like we've done it before; you pull back within one run, especially when you're down 5-1, it's kind of a big momentum shift, but it wasn't enough tonight."
A first for Cuthbert: Rookie Cheslor Cuthbert recorded the first three-hit game of his career. Cuthbert singled in the second, singled and scored in the fourth, and doubled leading off the sixth inning. Cuthbert had been 0-for-10 after a career-best seven-game hitting streak.

"I felt pretty good," Cuthbert said. "I've been working on keeping my head more still through contact. I've been pulling it out a lot lately."
Koji laments bunt play: Red Sox reliever Koji Uehara came on with one on and one out in the eighth, determined to hold his team's deficit to a run. When Omar Infante dropped a good bunt to the third-base side, Uehara rushed to field it. After bobbling the barehand attempt, Uehara threw the ball down the right-field line. Salvador Perez scored all the way from first on the error, and Infante roared into third. The inning worsened after the bunt, as Orlando ripped his two-run homer to make it a four-run game.
"I should have put it in my pocket and not thrown it," said Uehara. "I rushed it and I didn't have a good grip on it."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Bradley isn't the only Red Sox hitter with a prolonged hitting streak. Xander Bogaerts has hit in 11 straight games, and 23 of his last 25, and is hitting .335 on the season.
FARRELL TOSSED
Red Sox manager John Farrell was ejected for arguing a called strike while Mookie Betts batted in the top of the seventh. It was Farrell's second ejection this season and 15th in his career.
"I thought there were a couple of at-bats tonight, particularly in Mookie's case, you can't always tell the width of the plate, but you can tell elevation from the dugout, and obviously I had a disagreement with a couple of the pitches," Farrell said.

ORTIZ HONORED IN KC
With the Red Sox in the midst of their only visit to Kansas City this season, David Ortiz was honored by the Royals prior to Tuesday's game. The slugger was presented with a clubhouse chair from the 2012 All-Star Game played in Kansas City. Ortiz started that game for the American League. Ortiz was also given a combo pack of barbecue sauces from three well-known establishments in Kansas City.

UNDER REVIEW
Trailing by a run, the Red Sox tried to make something happen on the bases in the eighth, when Bogaerts attempted a steal of second. He was tagged out by second baseman Infante on a close play. Bench coach Torey Lovullo, who filled in after the ejection of Farrell, challenged the call. However, the call was confirmed after a review of 53 seconds.

WHAT'S NEXT
Red Sox: Knuckleballer Steven Wright draws the assignment for Game 1 of Wednesday's day-night doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium. The right-hander had his first subpar outing of the season last time out. Ace David Price, coming off a 12-strikeout performance in a win over the Astros, draws the start in the nightcap. First pitches are set for 2:15 and 8:15 p.m. ET.
Royals: Right-hander Ian Kennedy takes the mound for the Royals in Game 1 of the doubleheader. He gave up seven runs in his last start, including three home runs, in a 7-3 loss to the Yankees. Right-hander Edinson Volquez will pitch the nightcap. Volquez gave up one run over seven innings in his last start against the Braves.
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