Brock Holt hit an RBI single with one out in the 10th inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Thursday to complete the weather-suspended game that began Aug. 7.
The original contest was halted after a 1 hour, 49 minute-rain delay early on Aug. 8 with the score tied 4-4 and nobody out in the top of the 10th inning. Royals catcher Meibrys Viloria was facing a 2-1 count against Red Sox reliever Josh Taylor.
Play resumed 14 days, 14 hours and 18 minutes later at 1:05 p.m. when Taylor (1-1) lobbed a ball to Nick Dini, who pinch hit for Viloria and lined out to first base.
Ryan O’Hearn struck out and pinch hitter Bubba Starling grounded out to end the Royals’ inning. Starling took the spot of nine-hole hitter Billy Hamilton, who went 2 for 4 with a strikeout on Aug. 8 but was designated for assignment on Aug. 16.
Christian Vazquez doubled to center field after Andrew Benintendi struck out looking to lead off Boston’s 10th. Richard Lovelady (0-3) intentionally walked pinch hitter Sam Travis before Holt singled on a line drive to left field to score Chris Owings, who was pinch running for Vazquez.
The official time of game was 3:48, with only 12 minutes being played Thursday.
Viloria’s two-run single in the third inning on Aug. 7 gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead. J.D. Martinez tied it with a two-run homer in the fourth and Xander Bogaerts’ two-run double made it 4-2 in the fifth.
Whit Merrifield singled in a run in the sixth and Nicky Lopez doubled in the seventh to knot the score at 4. Play was eventually stopped at 10:47 p.m. and the game was officially suspended at 12:36 a.m.
Before Thursday, Boston’s most recent suspended game was April 16, 2010, at home against Tampa Bay and resumed the following day. Kansas City’s last suspended game, an Aug. 31, 2014, home contest versus Cleveland, was completed on Sept. 22, 2014.
FREE BASEBALL
Fans under 18 were allowed into Fenway Park for free and a $5 admission fee for adults was to be donated to the Jimmy Fund. Early arrivers were allowed to walk around the warning track on the field and concessions were sold at a discounted price.
NO DAYS OFF
Both teams forfeited an off day to finish the game. The Royals flew in from Baltimore on Wednesday night after dropping two of three games to the Orioles. The Red Sox already were home after losing on back-to-back days to Philadelphia.
JIMMY FUNDED
The 18th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon took place Tuesday and Wednesday and featured the stories of cancer patients, doctors and researchers during both game broadcasts. A two-day total of $3,471,104 was raised to support nearby Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: RHP Jake Newberry was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation before the game. RHP Kyle Zimmer was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. . RHP Jesse Hahn (UCL sprain in right elbow) began a rehab assignment with the Arizona League Royals on Wednesday.
Red Sox: LHP David Price (left wrist cyst) was scheduled to throw another bullpen session on Thursday but was not spotted on the field before the game. Manager Alex Cora said the team would decide on a course of action afterward.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (8-11, 4.78 ERA) seeks his ninth straight start of at least six innings when Kansas City opens a three-game series Friday in Cleveland.
Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (14-5, 4.10) makes his first career start against the Padres as Boston begins a three-game set Friday in San Diego.
———
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports