Kutter Crawford pitches 1-hitter into 8th, Rafael Devers homers and Red Sox blank Royals 5-0

BOSTON (AP) — Kutter Crawford took a one-hitter into the eighth inning, Rafael Devers hit a solo homer and the Boston Red Sox beat potential AL All-Star starter Seth Lugo in a 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

Crawford (6-7) struck out four and walked one, throwing 76 of his 96 pitches for strikes. He gave up Maikel Garcia’s leadoff single in the eighth before manager Alex Cora lifted him. The righty walked off to a standing ovation.

The Red Sox improved to 19-8 since June 12. Kansas City’s four-game winning streak was snapped.

All-Star Devers homered into the first row of Green Monster seats against Lugo (11-4) to make it 5-0 in the fifth. It was his 22nd of the season and 194th of his career, which passed former catcher and current coach Jason Varitek for 11th on the club’s all-time list.

Lugo gave up five runs on 10 hits in five innings. He entered the day with a MLB-best ERA of 2.21 that rose to 2.48. He’s second in the majors in victories, one behind Atlanta’s Chris Sale (12-3).

Before the game, Royals manager Matt Quatraro lobbied for the 34-year-old righty to be named the starter for Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas.

Zack Kelly threw a double-play ball on his first pitch and finished the eighth before getting the final three outs of the combined four-hitter, which was Boston’s majors’ best 11th shutout.

Coming off seven shutout innings when he threw just 68 pitches in a victory over the Yankees in his previous start last Sunday night, Crawford threw his first 13 pitches for strikes on Saturday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez, who left Friday’s game due to cramping, was the DH. “We said he wouldn’t catch today after the cramping,” Quatraro said. “He wasn’t going to catch all three games. We’ll see how he feels after (the game).”

Red Sox: Cora gave OF Tyler O’Neill the day off. … RHP Chris Martin (injured list, right elbow inflammation) threw Friday but Cora said he didn’t feel well afterward. “He played catch. He didn’t feel great,” Cora said. “Not concerned, but he’s going to take longer than we expected.”

UP NEXT

RHP Brady Singer (5-5, 2.93 ERA) is scheduled start Sunday’s series finale for the Royals against Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (9-5, 5.40).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Boston Red Sox's Dominic Smith, right, celebrates with Ceddanne Rafaela (43) after scoring on a double by Reese McGuire during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu, right, scores against Kansas City Royals catcher Freddy Fermin, front left, on a two-run single by Dominic Smith during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers runs on his solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Kutter Crawford throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Kutter Crawford high-fives a teammate in the dugout after being relieved during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

DENVER (AP) — Baltimore Orioles rookie second baseman Jackson Holliday returned Friday to Coors Field, the ballpark where he learned some of his earliest baseball lessons as a toddler at the feet of his father, former Colorado Rockies star Matt Holliday.

“It’s very special,” Holliday said before the Orioles beat the Rockies 5-3. “It’s kind of hard to explain growing up watching my dad play here for so long. I’m glad to be able to be here at the end of the year, and just excited to have a bunch of family and friends.”

Holliday's father, his mother, Leslee, and younger brother Ethan traveled from their Oklahoma home to be on hand for the weekend series between Baltimore and Colorado, where Matt Holliday bookended his 15-year major league career.

Matt broke into the majors with the Rockies in 2006 and helped the franchise to its only NL pennant in 2007. After stints with Oakland, St. Louis and the New York Yankees, Holliday rejoined the Rockies late in 2018, his final season.

Jackson put on a show in front of his family, hitting an RBI triple off the right-field wall in the ninth inning. He then scored on a headfirst slide when reliever Angel Chivilli fielded Austin Slater’s comebacker but threw wide of catcher Jacob Stallings for an error.

The play at the plate was reminiscent of Matt's bang-bang, headfirst slide at home for the winning run in a one-game tiebreaker against San Diego in 2007 that sent Colorado to the postseason.

Matt relished the chance to watch his oldest son play on the field he once roamed with his dad playing Wiffle ball and catch, absorbing early lessons in the game and an appreciation for the sport.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Matt said. “It doesn’t seem like that long ago, Jackson was running around here. We’re playing with a Wiffle ball, and now he’s got a chance to play on this field. Just have a lot of fond memories here, obviously, as a family and with Jackson. To get a chance to come and watch him play on this field is pretty surreal.”

Jackson struggled when he was called up by the Orioles in April but has fared much better in his second stint in the majors, which began on July 31. He hit a go-ahead three-run double in his first career pinch-hit appearance a week ago against Houston, becoming, at 20 years, 264 days, the youngest player in Orioles history to drive in three or more runs as a pinch-hitter since the RBI was recognized as an official statistic in 1920.

He recorded his first career stolen base on Wednesday at the Los Angeles Dodgers, the youngest Oriole to do that since Manny Machado swiped his first when he was 20 years, 53 days old against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 28, 2012.

Matt said it has been both thrilling and nerve-wracking seeing his son’s first major league season unfold, admitting that watching Jackson play could be tougher in some ways than dealing with his own ups and downs.

“As a player, you’re controlling the outcomes to some extent,” Matt said. “It’s hard because I wanted to do well, and because I know how bad he wants to do well, so it’s a little more taxing. Makes my gut probably a little more nervous than when I played. But you know it’s fun to watch, too. I love watching baseball, so I love watching him play. I know how much he loves it, so that makes it easy.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Retired Major League Baseball player Matt Holliday, center, jokes with Colorado Rockies television announcer Cory Sullivan, right, as Holliday' son, Ethan, left, looks on before the Baltimore Orioles face the Rockies in a baseball game Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Retired Major League Baseball player Matt Holliday greets Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black before the Baltimore Orioles face the Rockies in a baseball game, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Retired Major League Baseball player Matt Holliday greets Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black before the Baltimore Orioles face the Rockies in a baseball game, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Retired Major League Baseball player Matt Holliday, front, talks to reporters with his son, Jackson, second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, before the Orioles face the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Retired Major League Baseball player Matt Holliday, front, listens as his son, Jackson, second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, talks to reporters before the Orioles face the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)