The Royals managed nine hits, but never did get the clutch hit they needed. As a result, they were shutout by Boston’s Mike Nagy in a 4-0 loss at Fenway Park.

Kansas City went 0-7 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. Nagy only had two clean innings, retiring the side in the first and fourth innings. The 21-year-old hurler, who would finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting, only struck out two batters but was able to get out of jams all day.

Wally Bunker, starting the game for Kansas City, was not so lucky. With two outs in the first, he issued walks to Carl Yastrzemski and Reggie Smith. Rico Petrocelli doubled to drive in one run but Joe Lahoud lined out to end the inning.

George Scott homered to lead off the second. Bunker didn’t allow any more runs until the fourth, when Dick Schofield and Dalton Jones started the inning with singles. Yastrzemski followed with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead, and reliever Tom Burgmeier entered the game. Smith hit a sacrifice fly for Boston’s final run.

Burgmeier did a fine job in relief, pitching four scoreless innings while allowing four hits. However, the Royals’ offense could not take advantage.

Kansas City had two two-out singles in the second, but did not score. They left two more men on in the third, two more in both the fifth and sixth innings, and could not capitalize on a one-out double in the ninth.

With the loss, Kansas City fell to 22-30 on the season. They were in fifth place in the AL West, eight games behind Minnesota.

Box score and play-by-play: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS196906070.shtml

Today’s birthdays: Roger Nelson (1944), Luke Farrell (1991)