Verdugo was just a home run short of the cycle in the victory.
Triston Casas hit a two-run homer and Alex Verdugo finished a homer short of hitting for the cycle as the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 9-5 on Saturday night.
Six Boston batters drove in a run and all but one Red Sox starter had a hit. Boston snapped a five-game skid with the win after allowing four runs for the 12th time in 13 games.
Tanner Houck (4-8) worked five innings and allowed four runs and seven hits while walking one and striking out five.
“It felt good, it was good to be around that 100-pitch mark. It was something that I haven’t reached in a while,” Houck said. “To reach that milestone in terms of the progression, it felt good. It was good to know that I don’t have a pitch count, I can just go out there and compete at the highest level I can and put the team position to win.
