Billy Butler’s three-run homer in the eighth inning lifted the Royals past the Boston Red Sox by a 6-4 final Tuesday night at Kauffman. Butler’s homer came after another poor start from the rotation. Danny Duffy lasted just 4.1 innings after allowing four runs, three earned on seven hits and five walks. Duffy threw 102 pitches laboring into the fifth.
The Royals were down 4-3 when they rallied off Daniel Bard. He walked Jarrod Dyson and Alex Gordon to start the eighth before Matt Albers came on to face Butler. Albers left a pitch up in the zone and Butler pounded it into the fountains in left-field. It was his sixth homer of the year.
Bard gave up a 2-0 lead in the third when the Royals put up three in a strange inning. Eric Hosmer singled and Jeff Francoeur walked before Mike Moustakas beat out a double play. Bard was called for a balk, which allowed Hosmer to score and sent Moustakas to second base. Then Bard stepped off the rubber to chase Moustakas back to second base and balked again, putting Moustakas on third. Chris Getz’s singled tied the game. Later in the inning, catcher Humberto Quintero singled in the go-ahead run.