KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Jarrod Saltalamacchia pounded out a three-run homer, left-hander Andrew Miller gave Red Sox manager Terry Francona precisely what he was looking for and Boston rolled to a 7-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Miller (5-1) allowed one run on three hits and a pair of walks over 5 1-3 innings, rarely finding himself in any trouble against the Royals’ feeble offense. It was his first start since July 31 after a pair of appearances out of the bullpen, and his first victory since July 20 at Baltimore.
He was pulled after just 83 pitches because Francona knew he’d be short on stamina. Alfredo Aceves followed up with 3 2-3 innings of scoreless relief for his second save.