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 proved 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.
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 by 5 1/2 games, pending the result of Cleveland’s game in Minnesota.
Here are 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 Wilyer Abreu slimmed the deficit to 3-2 later in the inning with a double off the Green Monster that scored Adley Rutschman from first.
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.
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.
Nick Sogard brought brief cheers when he followed 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.