Red Sox SWEEP in Kansas City
Jarren Duran has breakout series while Trevor Story seeks eighth opinion.
Final Score: Red Sox 4, Royals 3. Boston fires off three straight, bringing their record to 22-27. Somehow, someway, two games back of the wild card. Boston did make their way to third in the AL East, but that tale lasted longer than it took for Nick Face to give up on Roman Anthony (come back soon brother… please!), as the Blue Jays beat New York 2-1, and sent Boston back into fourth.
In a season that has tested the temperament of Red Sox Nation, Wednesday night in Kansas City delivered exactly what we’ve been craving: timely hitting, clutch pitching (enter Greg Weissert), and a reminder that this team has fight. The Boston Red Sox capped off a three-game sweep of the struggling Royals with a thrilling 4-3 win. It wasn’t pretty by any means, but it was pure 2026 Red Sox baseball—resilient, opportunistic, and powered by a struggling star (I’m being nice) when it mattered most.
Jarren Duran is the Man
Jarren Duran was the undisputed hero of the night, and without question, the entire series. With Boston trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Duran stepped in against Royals reliever Steven Cruz with Carlos Narvaez on second. Up 3-1, Duran got a 98.6 mph fastball located high and away. He crushed—what was a competitive pitch—366’ opposite field over the newly retracted left field wall. His second home run in as many nights, and sixth on the season. That blast not only put Boston ahead for good, but encapsulated Duran’s resurgence over this three game series.
Postgame, Duran was his usual candid self, reflecting on the swing that changed the game. “It’s always fun to hit a homer, especially oppos… because, it’s into our bullpen, too, so that was always a cool thing. And I got to see them jumping around for me. It was probably what made my night, was watching them jump up,” he said to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith. The Red Sox bullpen wasn’t the only one jumping last night either. Duran made a remarkable Spider-Man like catch, clashing into the left field wall in foul territory, “I’m willing to get hurt to make a play for my pitchers,” he said. In years past, Kauffman Stadium has eaten Duran up, spit him out, and left Red Sox fans screaming from the rooftops for his departure from this team. This time around, instead of yelling back at heckling fans, Duran spoke with his glove and bat (finally).
4-10, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 4 BB, and a 1.871 OPS. Without Duran, the Red Sox lose this series. He was the difference.
Connelly Early Gave us Enough, and the Bullpen Shut the Door
On the mound, rookie Connelly Early turned in another solid outing, earning his fourth win of the season (4-2). He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits (two home runs, we’ll get to that), with five strikeouts to one walk. Early is the definition of cool, calm, and collected. A smooth delivery and an efficient arsenal. But, there is no denying there’s a home run issue that’s haunted him lately. He surrendered two more long balls Wednesday—Salvador Perez’s solo shot in the first and Elias Diaz’s two-run blast in the fifth. That brings him to nine homers allowed in his past seven starts.
The first eight starts—including postseason—of Early’s young career came without surrendering a home run. Since then, as noted above, nine in his last seven. The good news; seven of those home runs were solo shots. Those will not kill you, unless the offense is in the midst of their—way too common—scoring droughts. A 3.33 ERA is encouraging for Early, but a 4.76 FIP (fielding independent pitching) says without limiting the long ball, some tough outings are due in the future.
With 73 1/3 career innings to this point, Connelly Early is still learning on the fly. No one should be concerned, the former West Point Mule is confident in his abilities and a winner. Early’s next appearance should come Tuesday (May 26), in Boston versus the Braves.
The bullpen did its job admirably after Early exited with a runner on first. Greg Weissert inherited a runner and didn’t allow him to score. Holy fuc*ing shit, that’s possible?! Then, he shocked the world by striking out Bobby Witt Jr. on three pitches to end the seventh. Jovani Moran bridged the gap to Aroldis Chapman by striking out Jac Caglianone to end the eighth. Chapman then did his thing. 16 pitches, 10 strikes, one strikeout, and a 27th consecutive save (12).
The Other Guys Played too!
It wasn’t all Jarren Duran and elite pitching Wednesday night. Willson Contreras continued his elite play with three hits, including a triple. Ceddanne Rafaela is still smashing the baseball in May, a double and a run scored. He’s slashing .323/.382/.532 (.914 OPS) this month. Nick Sogard? Man, I fuc*ing love Nick Sogard. The utility man delivered a RBI single in the second to cash in Contreras’ triple. He’s making the most of his opportunities with solid contact, plate discipline, and promising defensive play. Marcelo Mayer reached base twice, a single and a walk. With Trevor Story seeking 40 opinions on his sports hernia, there’s no knowing when he will return to Boston’s lineup. So, Mayer did what any sensible player would do, go to the manager and ask to play his primary position. He worked out pregame at shortstop every day in Kansas City, and discussions are piling up about whether or not he’ll play there in the upcoming homestead. Bres, you stiff, let the kid play his PRIMARY position.
Looking Ahead
As the club returns to Fenway, momentum feels real. A sweep on the road builds confidence. The lineup has shown it can manufacture runs, capitalize on mistakes, and give timely power. Pitching has the depth to navigate tight contests. Injuries remain a challenge—Roman Anthony’s absence looms large—but the “next man up” mentality is alive and well.
This 4-3 victory wasn’t a statement against a powerhouse, but it was a gritty, character-building one. Duran reminded us what he can be, the supporting cast delivered, and the Red Sox walked away with the broomsticks. For a fanbase that’s endured so little ups, and way too many downs, these are the games (and series) that fuel belief. The season is far from over, and as Jarren Duran goes, the Red Sox go. There is STILL plenty of reason for optimism in Beantown. Go Sox.