The Red Sox and Royals are embroiled in a slugfest, with the Sox taking a 5-4 lead into the fourth inning.
As you may have gathered, it's been a bad start for Andrew Miller, whose time with the Red Sox could be drawing to a rapid close. A three-hit, two-run first inning for the Royals was capped by an Eric Hosmer double over the head of Darnell McDonald in Center. And they added another pair in the top of the second after Miller loaded the bases without recording an out, partially thanks to an inability to make an accurate throw on a sacrifice bunt.
He managed to work around a walk and a double in the third, however, giving the Sox a chance to mount an early comeback. After a Dustin Pedroia triple and David Ortiz double proved good for two runs in the first, the top of the lineup came through again in the third. Marco Scutaro doubled to left, Adrian Gonzalez walked, and Dustin Pedroia hit an RBI-double to make it 4-3. Five pitches later, and it was David Ortiz lacing a double to left to score both baserunners, giving the Sox the 5-4 lead.
Unfortunately, Andrew Miller hasn't gotten any better. A pair of home runs to Alex Gordon and BIlly Butler were good for three runs, putting the Royals back up 7-5. Miller is gone now after just 3.2 innings, leaving Alfredo Aceves to shoulder a significant innings load and Theo Epstein to hit the phones in search of a starter.