BOSTON (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez each had solo home runs, Cole Ragans allowed one run over seven innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red Sox-6-1 on Friday night for their fourth consecutive victory.
Adam Frazier, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez all added RBIs for Kansas City, which opened the three-game series a game back of Boston for the AL’s final wild-card spot.
Click to Gallery
BOSTON (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez each had solo home runs, Cole Ragans allowed one run over seven innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red Sox-6-1 on Friday night for their fourth consecutive victory.
Kansas City Royals' Kyle Isbel (28) scores on a sacrifice fly by Vinnie Pasquantino off starting pitcher Cooper Criswell (64) during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Cooper Criswell stands on the mound after giving up a solo home run to Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr., back left, during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Cooper Criswell throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans throws against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) celebrates after his solo home run with Vinnie Pasquantino (9) as Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong, right, kneels at home plate during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) celebrates after his solo home run with Vinnie Pasquantino (9) during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
It was the 16th homer of the season for Witt, an All-Star who will be competing in Monday’s Home Run Derby.
Ragans (6-6) struck out seven and allowed four hits to earn his first victory since June 24 at Miami.
Ceddanne Rafaela had an RBI for the Red Sox.
Cooper Criswell (3-4) threw a career-high 104 pitches over six innings, yielding eight hits and five runs, but only two – including Witt’s home run – were earned.
The Royals opened the game with three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs, and then took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Perez. But Criswell got Michael Massey on a groundout and Hunter Renfroe on a flyout to get out of the inning.
Criswell’s luck didn’t last.
In the second inning Kansas City took advantage of a fielding error by first baseman Romy Gonzalez, plus a walk and hit batter by Criswell to add three unearned runs and increase the lead to 4-0.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Placed RHP Justin Slaten on the 15-day IL retroactive to July 9 with right elbow inflammation. The reliever is 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 31 games this season. LHP Cam Booser was called up from Triple-A Worcester to take the roster spot.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Seth Lugo (11-3, 2.21 ERA) has the lowest ERA by a Royal over his first 19 starts with the franchise. He is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three career appearances against Boston.
Red Sox: RHP Kutter Crawford (5-7, 3.24) is making his 19th start of the season. He’s lost both of his career starts against Kansas City, tallying an 8.64 ERA.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Kansas City Royals' Adam Frazier scores in front of Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong on a sacrifice fly by Salvador Perez during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Kansas City Royals' Kyle Isbel (28) scores on a sacrifice fly by Vinnie Pasquantino off starting pitcher Cooper Criswell (64) during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Cooper Criswell stands on the mound after giving up a solo home run to Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr., back left, during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Cooper Criswell throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans throws against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) celebrates after his solo home run with Vinnie Pasquantino (9) as Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong, right, kneels at home plate during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) celebrates after his solo home run with Vinnie Pasquantino (9) during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio police officer was indicted Tuesday on murder and other charges in the shooting of Ta’Kiya Young, a 21-year-old pregnant Black mother who was killed after being accused of shoplifting last August.
Young was suspected of stealing bottles of alcohol when Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb and a fellow officer approached her car. The other officer ordered her out. Instead, she rolled forward toward Grubb, who fired a single bullet through her windshield into her chest. The daughter she was expecting three months later also died.
A Franklin County grand jury indicted Grubb on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in the death of Young and her baby. He is scheduled to be arraigned in court Wednesday. A warrant for his arrest was issued as part of the indictment.
Brian Steel, president of the union representing Blendon Township police, called the indictment deeply disappointing. “Like all law enforcement officers, Officer Grubb had to make a split-second decision, a reality all too familiar for those who protect our communities,” he said in a statement.
Young's grandmother, Nadine Young, said the officer never should have pulled his gun when he first confronted her.
“He took a lot from us,” she said on Tuesday. “Its not fair. We don’t have her or the baby.”
The last year has been difficult for the family, including her granddaughter's two young sons, she said. “It's been agony, it's been like a whirlwind of hurt and pain,” she said.
Family members called for the officer to be charged shortly after the Aug. 24 shooting. After viewing bodycam footage showing the officer firing the gun, the family called his actions a “gross misuse of power and authority,” especially given that Young had been accused of a relatively minor crime.
In the video, an officer at the driver’s side window tells Young she’s been accused of shoplifting and orders her out of the car. Young protests, both officers curse at her and yell at her to get out, and Young can be heard asking them, “Are you going to shoot me?”
Seconds later, she turns the steering wheel to the right, the car rolls slowly forward and Grubb fires his gun. Moments later, after the car comes to a stop against the building, they break the driver's side window. Police said they tried to save her life, but she was mortally wounded.
Sean Walton, the family’s attorney, said the law is clear on when an officer can use deadly force.
“In no scenario does someone shoplifting contribute to their murder by a police officer,” he said. “She bears no responsibility.”
Some departments around the U.S. prohibit officers from firing at or from moving vehicles, and law enforcement groups such as the Police Executive Research Forum say shooting in such circumstances creates an unacceptable risk to bystanders from stray gunfire or the driver losing control of the vehicle.
The Blendon Township police department’s use of force policy says officers should try to move away from an approaching vehicle instead of firing their weapons. An officer should only shoot when he or she “reasonably believes there are no other reasonable means available to avert the imminent threat of the vehicle, or if deadly force other than the vehicle is directed at the officer or others.”
The encounter between Young and police was among a troubling series of fatal shootings of Black adults and children by Ohio officers, and followed various episodes of police brutality against Black people across the nation over the past several years.
The state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation completed its investigation into the shooting last December before a special prosecutor was appointed to oversee the case. The prosecutor then presented evidence to the grand jury over two days. Grand juries don’t consider guilt but instead look at whether there's enough evidence to proceed to a trial.
Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford said the department has started a disciplinary review now that Grubb has been indicted. A full-time officer with the township since 2019, Grubb has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting. His personnel file showed he had no disciplinary history on the job, his first as a police officer.
“No one at Blendon Township has passed any judgment on whether Officer Grubb acted within the law,” the police chief said in a statement. “However, since people who’ve been indicted may not legally possess a firearm, the indictment against him leaves us with no choice but to begin the disciplinary process.”
This story has been updated to correct that Brian Steel is the president of the union, not the executive vice president.
Seewer reported from Toledo. Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.
This Aug. 8, 2018, photo released by the Blendon Township, Ohio, Police Department shows officer Connor Grubb, who was indicted Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, on murder and other charges in the shooting of Ta’Kiya Young, a 21-year-old pregnant Black mother who was killed after being accused of shoplifting. (Blendon Township Police Department via AP)
This Aug. 8, 2018, photo released by the Blendon Township, Ohio, Police Department shows officer Connor Grubb, who was indicted Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, on murder and other charges in the shooting of Ta’Kiya Young, a 21-year-old pregnant Black mother who was killed after being accused of shoplifting. (Blendon Township Police Department via AP)
Attorney Sean Walton and Ta’Kiya Young's grandmother Nadine Young react after an Ohio police officer was indicted on charges including murder in the shooting of Ta’Kiya Young on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora Orsagos)
This undated image provided by the law firm of Walton+ Brown, LLP, shows Ta'Kiya Young. (Walton+ Brown, LLP via AP)
FILE - This still image from bodycam video released by the Blendon Township Police on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, shows a bullet hole in the windshield of a car with Ta'Kiya Young inside after she was shot by a police officer outside a grocery store in Blendon Township, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, on Aug. 24. The video was pixelated by the source. (Blendon Township Police via AP, File)
FILE - This still image from bodycam video released by the Blendon Township Police on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, shows an officer pointing his gun at Ta'Kiya Young moments before shooting her through the windshield outside a grocery store in Blendon Township, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, on Aug. 24. The video was pixelated by the source. (Blendon Township Police via AP, File)
This still image from bodycam video released by the Blendon Township Police on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, shows an officer pointing his gun at Ta'Kiya Young moments before shooting her through the windshield outside a grocery store in Blendon Township, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, on Aug. 24. The video was pixelated by the source. (Blendon Township Police via AP, File)
