Mookie Betts snapped a tie with Hall of Famer Ted Williams for most three-homer games in Boston Red Sox history. Betts also became the first player in major league history with four three-homer games before turning 26.
Mookie Betts belted three solo homers and J. D. Martinez also went deep, powering the Boston Red Sox to a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.
It was the fourth three-homer game for the 25-year-old Betts, who snapped a tie with Hall of Famer Ted Williams for most three-homer games in franchise history. Betts also became the first player in major league history with four three-homer games before turning 26, according to STATS.
AL East-leading Boston won for the third time in four games after losing 7-6 in 13 innings on Tuesday night.
Cheslor Cuthbert homered for Kansas City, and Drew Butera had a two-run double. The Royals were trying for consecutive wins for just the second time this season.
Danny Duffy (0-4) was tagged for five runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Boston left-hander Drew Pomeranz (1-1) worked six innings, giving up all three runs of his runs in the first two frames. Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save and 299th of his career a day after his first blown opportunity this season.
Unlike most of the early season games in Fenway Park, there was a summerlike feel with a game-time temperature of 86 degrees under bright-blue skies.
Betts led off the fourth with a drive to center for his ninth homer of the season. Hanley Ramirez walked with one out and Martinez followed with a drive to center, tying it at 3.
Betts connected again in the fifth, sending a drive just inside the left-field foul pole into the Green Monster seats. His third homer of the game also came against Duffy, driving a 1-2 pitch over the wall in center in the seventh.
Kansas City closed to 5-4 on Cuthbert’s homer in the eighth, but the Red Sox closed it out from there.
The umpiring crew had four calls overturned — including two by first-base umpire Fieldin Culbreth.
