KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Whit Merrifield fist-pumped the Royals' dugout in delight. Red Sox reliever Blaine Boyer clenched his fist in anger.
The key battle in the Royals-Red Sox series opener went to Merrifield, who bounced a single through a drawn-in left side of the infield and paved the way to a 4-2 Royals' triumph at Kauffman Stadium on Monday.
The game stood 2-2 when the bottom and top of the Royals' order served up the go-ahead drama.
Catcher Drew Butera, in the lineup as Salvador Perez rested because of a sore rib, stroked a one-out line drive to center field, where Jackie Bradley Jr. made a diving attempt.
Bad move. The ball bounced past Bradley and to the wall as Butera chugged into third base with the fifth triple of his eight-year career.
That brought up Merrifield, who fouled up five pitches, presumably to allow Butera catch his breath.
Merrifield perfectly placed his high hopping grounder between third baseman Pablo Sandoval and shortstop Xander Bogaerts, setting off the dueling fists of emotion.
The Royals weren't finished.
With Merrifield running, Jorge Bonifacio bounced a slow roller to second base, allowing Merrifield to take second and score when Lorenzo Cain dropped a single to right.
The Royals had taken the opener of a series between two of baseball's hottest teams.
Winners of seven of their last nine, the Royals had closed to striking distance of the Central Division lead. By winning seven of 10, the Red Sox have chased down the slumping Yankees in the East. Monday was about maintaining momentum.
The Royals improved to 34-35 and remain 3 { games behind the first place Cleveland Indians, who also won on Monday. They've won eight of nine and stand 12-5 in June.
The Royals gave starter Jason Hammel a lead in the third when Eric Hosmer crushed a two-run homer to center and the base of the scoreboard. Merrifield opened the inning with an infield single and Cain looked like he might have got one out of Kauffman. But the ball ran out of steam on the warning track.
Hosmer, who had struck out in his first plate appearance on a checked swing, didn't miss this full-count offering from Hector Velazquez, making his second major league start and third appearance. The distance was estimated at 446 feet and was Hosmer's eighth home run this season, and marked career RBIs 501 and 502.
The Royals' lead was short-lived. Hammel opened the fourth by surrendering a bloop single to Hanley Ramirez, on a ball that just eluded right fielder Bonifacio. Bradley then took Hammel over the right field bullpen to make it 2-2.
But for the game, Hammel was solid and continued to turn the corner on his season. He entered the game with a 2-0 record, 2.21 ERA and .218 opponents' batting average in his previous three starts.
On Monday, he surrendered seven hits in seven innings, and although he hit two batters, didn't issue a walk for the third time in four games.
Since May 29, Hammel has lowered his ERA from 6.18 to 4.83, while improving to 4-6.
The bullpen finished it off, but not without some tense moments.
Reliever Mike Minor loaded the bases in the eighth on pair of singles and a two-out walk. Christian Vazquez topped a slow roller to third, where Cheslor Cuthbert charged and fired just in time to record the out. Closer Kelvin Herrera worked around a one-out triple in the ninth to collect his 16th save.
The Royals also came up empty on some scoring chances, including one in the sixth that included a Mike Moustakas bunt single against the shift.
That turned out to be only the second most unlikely Royals base hit of the game, topped by Butera's triple.
