KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The fortunes of Jason Hammel and the Kansas City Royals have taken similar turns this season.
Both started with high expectations, endured a miserable first month that left many fans writing them off, then found a spark somewhere along the way.
Hammel's latest starring role came Monday night, when he held the powerful Boston Red Sox in check for seven sharp innings. And when Whit Merrifield drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh, and Mike Minor and Kelvin Herrera closed it out, the Royals had a 4-2 win — their eighth in nine games.