BOSTON — — Alex Verdugo had a two-run double to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Wednesday night in a game with one of the strangest ground-rule doubles in Fenway Park history.
In the top of the second inning with two out and Matt Duffy on first base, Kyle Isbel lashed a drive to left field that looked as if it would be caught by Masataka Yoshida, who lunged and clasped his glove. But Yoshida missed the ball, crashing into the wall. He got up, clearly confused, looking around for the ball.
The ball was not on the field. It had smashed through one of the red lights on the wall that denote the number of outs. Yoshida picked the ball through the hole in the light, with the play ruled a ground-rule double.
The Red Sox scored three runs in fourth to erase a one-run deficit.
Jordan Lyles (3-13) was the loser. He went eight innings, giving up four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.
The Royals and Red Sox wrap up their series Thursday. Right-hander Alec Marsh (0-5, 6.75 ERA) is scheduled to start for Kansas City at 6:10.