BOSTON – When the indefatigable Jarren Duran and the underrated Wilyer Abreu aren’t in the lineup for the Red Sox, it is always because a left-hander is pitching for the opposing team.
While one or the other is usually in there in such circumstances, both got the nod on Monday night against Royals lefty Bailey Falter — and it paid off.
Duran, in the lineup all along, came through with the biggest hit of the game as the red-hot Red Sox ran their winning streak to six games with an 8-5 victory in the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, the Red Sox had already scored twice but were close to squandering the chance to add on with runners at the corners and nobody out.
Duran made sure that didn’t happen, mauling a two-out, three-run homer a Statcast-projected 419 feet into the center-field bleachers.
Of Duran’s 12 homers this season, two have come against same-handed pitchers.
Abreu was in the lineup by chance, and didn’t find out until just minutes before the first pitch. Roman Anthony, the one Red Sox lefty who always starts against southpaws, was scratched with mid-back tightness sustained during pregame warmups.
Enter Abreu, who batted third, drew a key walk to load the bases in that five-run first inning and then made a cannon of a throw to the plate to short-circuit Kansas City’s four-run rally in the eighth.
The Red Sox love their outfield defense, which is probably the best in the game. And Duran also saved a run in this one when he made a Spider-Man-like catch to end the fourth, leaping in front of the scoreboard in left to snare a line drive off the bat of Kyle Isbel.
With plenty of offense to work with, Brayan Bello (8-5, 3.03 ERA) turned in another strong performance for the Sox. Though the night looked like a bit of a grind for him at times, Bello held the Royals to six hits and one unearned run over six innings, walking none and striking out five.
