Boston scored in the top of the 11th and the Royals couldn’t answer, giving the Red Sox a 6-5 victory on a Friday night at Royals Stadium.

Dan Quisenberry, who had taken over for starter Rich Gale in the eighth, ran into trouble right away in the 11th when Carlton Fisk led off with a double, the first hit Quisenberry had allowed in the game. After a sacrifice bunt, Jack Brohamer singled to center for the go-ahead run.

The teams had traded runs all night, starting in the first when Jerry Remy started the game with a triple and scored on a groundout. Kansas City, facing Red Sox starter and Topeka native Mike Torrez, drew even in the bottom of the inning. Willie Wilson led off with a triple of his own and scored on Hal McRae’s fly ball.

The Royals took the lead in the second, with Wilson driving in Clint Hurdle with a two-out single after Hurdle had doubled with one out. But Boston tied the game in the top of the third on a Jim Dwyer single, Rick Burleson walk, and Fred Lynn single.

The Red Sox retook the lead in the fifth on a Burleson home run. The Royals tied it up in the sixth as Jamie Quirk started the inning with a double. Hurdle hit another double to bring Quirk home. At this point, one of the more emotional moments in Royals history happened as Darrell Porter came up to pinch-hit. After leaving spring training early to enter rehab for his drug and alcohol addictions, and a week or so of workouts in Kansas City, Porter was making his first appearance of the season. The crowd of 25,965 gave him a standing ovation, complete with waving yellow ribbons after a local radio campaign to do so, for about two minutes. When the game resumed, Porter flied out to center and the game remained tied.

But Boston once again took the lead. In the seventh, a pair of two-out singles set up Lynn, who doubled to right field for a 5-3 lead. And once again, the Royals tied it up. In the bottom of the seventh, John Wathan singled with two outs before Quirk homered to right field. 

Quisenberry worked around an error and a walk in the 10th, but could not escape the 11th unscathed. The Royals got a two-out walk in the bottom of the 11th, but McRae’s line drive to center was tracked down by Lynn to end the game.

With the loss, the Royals dropped to 10-9. They were tied for third with Texas in the AL West, with both teams two games behind Oakland.

George Brett watch: Still bothered by a bruised heel he sustained on April 25, Brett was held out of the lineup for this game although he had played one game in the Toronto series before this game. Season stats: .259/.365/.537

Box score and play-by-play: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/KCA/KCA198005020.shtml

Today’s birthdays: Felix Jose (1965), Luke Hudson (1977), Neftali Feliz (1988)