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  Wednesday, May 31 7:05pm ET
Sweeney, Royals tip Red Sox
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

BOSTON (AP) -- Red Sox manager Jimy Williams threw a fit in the second inning as he saw the game slip away. His Kansas City counterpart threw one in the eighth as the Royals nearly gave it back.

"I was trying to stay as calm as possible without tearing a rib or anything up," Royals manager Tony Muser said Wednesday night after watching his team nearly blow a seven-run lead before salvaging a 9-7 victory over Boston.

Mike Sweeney had four hits and Johnny Damon and Jermaine Dye had three apiece for Kansas City. Mac Suzuki (2-0) scattered seven hits and four walks in seven innings, striking out seven and allowing two runs.

Jerry Spradlin earned his fifth save, getting four outs after Boston scored five runs off Ricky Bottalico in the eighth, coming back from a 9-2 deficit.

Mike Stanley doubled with one out in the eighth, then took third on Scott Hatteberg's single and scored on an error by Bottalico, who fielded Wilton Veras' grounder and bounced a throw to first base. Jeff Frye walked to load the bases, and Bottalico hit Trot Nixon, forcing in a run.

Jose Santiago came in to pitch and gave up a two-run double to Brian Daubach, who had just three hits in his previous 21 at-bats. Pinch-hitter Jason Varitek grounded out to drive in another run and make it 9-7.

After Donnie Sadler was hit by a pitch and stole second, Spradlin got Troy O'Leary to ground out to first to end the inning. He allowed Scott Hatteberg's double with one out in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate before getting the final two outs to seal the victory.

"That was a save," Muser said.

Pete Schourek (2-5) gave up six runs, six hits and two walks, striking out one in 4 1/3 innings for the Red Sox, who lost their manager and -- it seemed at the time -- the game -- during the Royals' four-run second inning.

Dave McCarty homered with two outs, then Gregg Zaun and Rey Sanchez walked before Damon doubled down the right-field line. The ball came to a quick stop as if a fan had touched it, but first-base umpire Jerry Crawford ruled that there was no interference; Sanchez scored from first, beating a throw from Nixon in right field.

Williams came out to argue with Crawford and plate umpire Mike Everett, bumping chests and going nose-to-nose with Crawford before and after he was ejected.

"I know I've made a lot of mistakes. I know I'm not perfect. And maybe I've made some after that in the game," said Williams, who admitted that he continued to make decisions from his office _ an apparent violation of baseball rules. "That's OK. I accept that."

Damon, who took third on the throw, scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.

Carl Everett hit his 16th homer to lead off the fourth, and Frye added an RBI single to make it 4-2. But the Royals got four more runs in the fifth.

Damon singled, stole his league-leading 17th base and scored on Sweeney's double. Dye singled to score Sweeney, and Carlos Beltran singled and scored on McCarty's groundout to make it 8-2.

Damon tripled and scored in the sixth to make it 9-2.

Game notes
It was Suzuki's 25th birthday. ... McCarty hit his fourth homer in eight games. ... The Royals allowed a major league-leading 91 homers in 51 games. Last year, they allowed just 53 in their first 50 games. Frye has hit in 10 straight, his longest hitting streak since 11 in 1997. ... 3B John Valentin will miss the rest of the season with a ruptured patellar tendon. Surgery is scheduled for Thursday. Andy Sheets was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to replace him. ... Hipolito Pichardo was purchased from Pawtucket and Tim Young was sent down. Pitcher Bret Saberhagen was moved from the 15- to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Pichardo on the 40-man roster.

 


ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard

Kansas City Clubhouse

Boston Clubhouse


'Office manager' Williams may have broken MLB rule


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