(AP) Salvador Perez borrowed a Miguel Cabrera bat from Kansas City Royals teammate Drew Butera for the first time Wednesday.
It was magic for Perez, who hit his first career grand slam, connecting in the eighth inning to rally the Royals over the Boston Red Sox 6-4.
The Royals have won nine of 11 and moved within a game of .500.
Perez homered over the Kansas City bullpen in left field on the ninth pitch from Robby Scott (0-1). With Boston leading 4-2, reliever Matt Barnes started the inning by walking Jorge Bonifacio and Lorenzo Cain on 12 pitches.
Scott was summoned to face Eric Hosmer, but walked him on four pitches to load the bases for Perez. The All-Star catcher fouled off three full-count deliveries before hitting his 15th home run of the season.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, Perez was the first Kansas City player to hit a grand slam in the eighth inning or later with the Royals trailing since Frank White in 1986. Perez went 3 for 3 in the win.
Jorge Soria (3-2) worked a spotless eighth. Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 19 chances.
Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts hit successive home runs in the Boston fourth off Ian Kennedy.
Benintendi’s drive was estimated at 454 feet and landed in the right-center waterfall. The leadoff homer was Boston’s first hit, and the 100th of Benintendi’s career.
Five pitches later, Bogaerts went deep to left, tying the score at 2. It was the fourth time this season the Red Sox have hit back-to-back home runs.
Red Sox lefty Drew Pomeranz worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits.
Kennedy was removed after 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs, two earned, three hits and three walks. He has just one victory in his past 17 starts.
Errors by Kennedy and first baseman Cheslor Cuthbert helped Boston score twice in the fifth.
