The Red Sox finally showed signs of life offensively Tuesday night.
Boston got a complete all-around performance from Jarren Duran, who crushed a three-run homer in the ninth inning and made two great defensive plays in left field, helping power the Red Sox to a 7-1 win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Perhaps most importantly for the Red Sox, it marked the first time since May 7 that Boston scored more than three runs in a game.
Duran finished 2-for-3 and nearly added a triple in the fifth inning when he hammered a 95.6 mph four-seam fastball from Luinder Avila 392 feet to center field for a double. The speedy outfielder, however, was thrown out trying to stretch it into three bases after a perfect relay from the Royals defense.
The Sox’ left fielder also flashed the glove throughout the night.
In the second inning, he made a terrific diving catch on Nick Loftin’s 276-foot, 95.8 mph liner to left field.
Then in the fifth inning, with the potential tying run standing at third base, Duran tracked down Salvador Perez’s 364-foot, 101.9-mph drive and made a leaping catch near the wall to preserve Boston’s lead and end the inning.
Boston jumped out to an immediate 1-0 lead against opener Bailey Falter in the top of the first inning.
Duran worked a leadoff walk and quickly stole his 10th base of the season, putting himself into scoring position for Wilyer Abreu, who followed with a one-out RBI single.
The Red Sox looked poised to add more when Willson Contreras singled to put two runners aboard with one out, but Andruw Monasterio grounded into an inning-ending double play on the very next pitch.
Caleb Durbin, who entered the night hitting just .165 and had not started either Sunday or Monday, returned to the lineup Tuesday and delivered an RBI single in the second inning to give Boston a 2-1 lead.
Boston scored both early runs against Falter, who served as Kansas City’s opener and worked two innings.
Ranger Suarez saw his streak of 19 consecutive scoreless innings come to an end during a lengthy bottom of the first inning as Kansas City immediately answered to tie the game.
But that lone run proved to be the only damage the Royals would manage all night.
Despite battling command issues early, Suarez grinded through 4 1/3 innings while allowing just one run on four hits. The left-hander walked three, struck out three, and threw 81 pitches, only 46 for strikes.
Suarez needed 32 pitches just to survive the
