BOSTON — The Royals were down two runs against the Red Sox in the ninth inning Sunday but they had runners at first and second base when Freddy Fermin singled into the gap in left-center field with one out.
Dairon Blanco scored from second base to cut it to 5-4. But center fielder Red Sox rookie Ceddanne Rafaela threw a dart to third baseman Rafael Devers to throw out Garrett Hampson trying to go from first to third.
Closer Kenley Jansen then retired Nick Loftin on a groundout to second base to convert his first ever regular season six-out save and the Red Sox won 5-4 over the Royals at Fenway Park.
“The throw by Ceddanne tells you a lot, too,” manager Alex Cora said. “The kid is 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and he’s still engaged on defense. He goes from shortstop to center field. He makes a great throw.”
Rafaela began the game at shortstop but Cora moved him to center field to begin the eighth inning after pinch hitting Connor Wong for right fielder Wilyer Abreu in the bottom of the seventh. Jarren Duran (who went 4-for-5) moved from center field to left. Tyler O’Neill switched from left to right. Romy Gonzalez entered the game as the shortstop.
Rafaela entered Sunday with seven defensive runs saved in 408 innings in center field.
“When he got that guy out at third, it’s a huge boost,” Jansen said. “He boosted me up and I got out of the inning. And like I said, it’s a good team win.”
