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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
BOSTON (AP) – Manny Ramirez hasn't wasted any time making an
impression in Boston.
|  | | Carl Everett slides safely into second to beat a force out. Everett left no doubt later, when he hit a grand slam in the sixth. |
Ramirez and Troy O'Leary hit consecutive home runs and Carl
Everett added his second grand slam in the last three days as the Red Sox cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Ramirez, who was signed to a $160 million, eight-year contract
this past offseason, hit an opposite-field three-run homer off
Royals starter Blake Stein (1-3) in the fifth inning for his seventh home run of the season.
Ramirez was 2-for-4 and leads the AL with a .420 average. He also has 26 RBI in April, the most for any Red Sox player since 1949.
"He's a run producer and that's what he's done his whole
career," Everett said. "He's a work of art."
O'Leary followed with a solo shot down the right-field line for
his first of the season. It also marked the first time that Boston
hit back-to-back homers this year.
The Red Sox have won eight of 11 and improved to 11-3 at Fenway
Park. The Royals dropped to 3-11 on the road.
"We still have a long way to go," Ramirez said. "Nobody's going to remember how you start. All they care about is how you finish."
Stein hadn't allowed a run through the first four innings before Chris Stynes singled and stole second base with one out in the fifth. Everett walked and Ramirez went deep.
"It wasn't a good pitch to Ramirez," Royals manager Tony Muser
said. "He's a low-ball hitter and that's right where it was."
Frank Castillo (3-1) allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings for his third straight victory.
Boston broke it open in the sixth when Brian Daubach led off
with a single, Mike Lansing reached on an error by pitcher Kris
Wilson and Stynes singled to load the bases.
Trot Nixon singled in Daubach and Everett connected for his
seventh career grand slam to make it 9-2.
"I haven't been swinging the bat well," Everett said. "I've
been overswinging, but I got a pitch in the zone. It was one of the
few good swings I had."
Castillo got through the first three innings unscathed, but Mike
Sweeney doubled high off the wall and scored on Dee Brown's single
up the middle in the fourth to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.
After Boston went ahead 4-1, Kansas City cut the deficit in the
sixth when Jermaine Dye singled up the middle and scored Rey Sanchez, but Mark Quinn was tagged out at the plate trying to score
on a perfect throw by Everett.
Rolando Arrojo relieved Castillo and got out of a jam by striking out Joe Randa with runners on first and second. Arrojo pitched the final 3 2/3 innings to pick up his third save.
Game notes
Ramirez has reached base in all of Boston's 23 games and
extended his hitting streak to seven games. ... Dye returned to the
lineup after missing two games with a bruised left knee and was
2-for-4 with an RBI. ... The Red Sox, who are last in the AL in
stolen bases, picked up a pair from Stynes and Nixon. ... Nixon
snapped out of a 1-for-10 skid with three hits.
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RECAPS
Boston 9
Kansas City 2
Texas 11
Cleveland 9
Detroit 4
Tampa Bay 2
NY Yankees 3
Oakland 2
Toronto 12
Anaheim 4
Seattle 8
Chi. White Sox 3
Minnesota 6
Baltimore 3
Florida 9
Houston 8
Montreal 6
Milwaukee 1
St. Louis 9
NY Mets 0
Cincinnati 12
Colorado 9
Atlanta 9
Arizona 0
Pittsburgh 3
San Diego 0
Chicago Cubs 7
San Francisco 3
Los Angeles 4
Philadelphia 3
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