Payton Tolle starts with immaculate inning, Roman Anthony gets key hit as Red Sox beat Royals 4-1

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BOSTON (AP) — Payton Tolle opened the game with an immaculate inning, Roman Anthony hit a go-ahead single and the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1 on Sunday in a game that’s start was delayed by rain.

Tolle is the first Boston pitcher to throw an immaculate inning (three strikeouts on nine pitches) to start a game since Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez did it on May 18, 2002.

Caleb Durbin hit a solo homer and Trevor Story added a game-breaking two-run single for the Red Sox, who took the final two games of the three-game series.

Carter Jensen drove in the Royals’ run with a pinch-hit single. Kansas City was looking for its first series win in Boston since 2017.

In the seventh, Anthony lined an opposite-field single against reliever Connor Thomas after Craig Kimbrel (1-5) walked the first two batters.

Garrett Whitlock (7-1) was credited with the victory. Aroldis Chapman got the final three outs for his 34th save and the 401st of his career.

Tolle, a hard-throwing 23-year-old left-hander, fanned Nick Loftin called, then got Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone swinging in the first.

He went six scoreless innings, striking out seven while allowing four singles.

Noah Cameron gave up a run over six sharp innings.

Durbin belted Cameron’s first pitch into the first row of seats above the Green Monster. Story’s single came off Nate Pearson in the eighth.

Jensen’s RBI single inside the first-base bag tied it.

The club announced Saturday that the finale's start time was pushed back 90 minutes due to the forecast of rain, which came and delayed the first pitch by 1 hour, 50 minutes.

Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (9-8, 3.25 ERA) is scheduled for the opener of a three-game series in Houston on Tuesday.

Red Sox: LHP Patrick Sandoval (1-5, 4.58) starts Tuesday in the series opener against Texas.

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