How a Royals lineup change sparked key victory over Red Sox at Fenway Park
Mike Yastrzemski knows his last name carries weight in the Boston area. He has lived it his entire life growing up in and around Fenway Park.
His grandfather, Carl, is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and has his No. 8 jersey retired by the Boston Red Sox organization. And each time Yastrzemski comes back home, he is welcomed with a special applause.
On Wednesday, Yastrzemski set the tone for the Kansas City Royals. He ignited the lineup from the leadoff spot in a 7-3 victory over the Red Sox.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro inserted Yastrzemski atop the batting order for the first time since arriving at the trade deadline. It wasn’t an unfamiliar spot; Yastrzemski had led off for the San Francisco Giants multiple times in his career.
A main reason was to take advantage of the pitching matchup. Yastrzemski has stellar numbers against Red Sox right-hander Dustin May. In his career, Yastrzemski has hit .455 (5-for-11) in 13 plate appearances against him.
The order change resulted in longtime leadoff man Jonathan India dropping further in the batting order. India batted seventh in Wednesday’s lineup against the Red Sox.
The offensive changes worked.
“Great at-bat starting out the game for Yaz,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said in is postgame interview via FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City. “And another one in his second at-bat. India was on base three times I believe. So it worked out well tonight.”
Yastrzemski finished 2-for-3 and scored a run. He also made a terrific catch in the right-field corner to rob Roman Anthony, who just signed a new contract extension, in the fifth inning.
Meanwhile, India provided the biggest offensive blow. He hit a three-run homer atop the Green Monster in left field. The blast gave Royals starter Michael Wacha critical run support as the Royals salvaged a win in the three-game series.
India was professional in accepting the lineup change. And he produced when his number was called Wednesday night. The home run helped erase multiple innings where the Royals left baserunners stranded.
“I think it was just best for the team,” India said postgame via FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City. “I wasn’t doing my job since the (All-Star) Break. ... I want to win and that’s the bottom line. I’m a guy that goes out there and competes. Bottom line is to win, and it was a good decision today.
“Yaz did an unbelievable job in the leadoff spot as a veteran guy and it worked.”
The Royals (57-58) remained four games behind the New York Yankees (61-54) for the final spot in the American League Wild Card race. Boston (64-52) snapped a seven-game winning streak with the loss.
“It was huge for the team,” India said. “We needed to come out here and get a win. We needed to salvage the series somehow and we did. Everyone came to play tonight and Wacha did an unbelievable job. Came up big in big situations, which was awesome.”
Michael Wacha limits Red Sox
Wacha made his return to Fenway Park to face the Red Sox. In 2022, Wacha made 23 starts for the Red Sox in his lone season with the club.
Now, Wacha was back to help the Royals make a postseason push. And he did his part by allowing two earned runs across six innings.
“You just feel so good every time he goes out there,” Quatraro said. “You see the same guy time after time and against that lineup, to be that efficient, was really impressive.”
Wacha tossed 50 of 74 pitches for strikes. He recorded three strikeouts and didn’t allow a run after surrendering two in the first inning. In the frame, Wacha allowed a two-run single to Romy Gonzalez as the Red Sox took a 2-0 lead.
However, Wacha settled down and kept the deficit manageable. He retired 15 of his last 17 batters with efficient pitching.
“He is a veteran and knows how to go out there and do his job,” India said. “He is the heartbeat of this team and keeps the boys loose. When he is imon the mound, we are comfortable, man. Just to see Wacha do his thing every night is a beautiful thing.”
Bobby Witt Jr. joins exclusive list
Bobby Witt Jr. continues to demonstrate his five-tool ability early in his career. On Wednesday, Witt joined Ichiro Suzuki as the lone players — since 1994 — to have 30 or more stolen bases in their first four seasons.
Witt picked up his 30th stolen base in the third inning. He got a quick jump on May and swiped the bag just ahead of the tag.
This season, Witt has 16 home runs and 30 stolen bases. He has an outside chance to record his third consecutive 30-30 season with 47 games left.
What’s next: The Royals are idle on Thursday before beginning a three-game series on Friday against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
This story was originally published August 6, 2025 at 9:11 PM with the headline "How a Royals lineup change sparked key victory over Red Sox at Fenway Park."
