BOSTON — Boston’s Junichi Tazawa found out the hard way that life as closer can have its lousy days.

Tazawa gave up four runs and six hits in the ninth inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied for an 8-6 victory over the Red Sox on Sunday.

Boston Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan falls backward after tagging out Kansas City Royals’ Kendrys Morales in the ninth inning of Boston's 8-6 loss Sunday at Fenway Park in Boston.

MONDAY's game

WHO: Red Sox (Kelly 6-6) at Chicago White Sox (Samardzija 8-9)

WHEN: 8:10 p.m.

TV: NESN

WHO

“As I’ve been saying over the past several days, we’re going to just be patient through the process with a lot of these guys changing their roles and continue to give them the ball,” Boston interim manager Torey Lovullo said. “It’s a learning moment for Taz.”

Inserted in the role when closer Koji Uehara was lost for the season with a fractured wrist earlier this month, Tazawa was lucky he got any outs in the ninth.

The Royals had two runners cut down at the plate and shortstop Xander Bogaerts made a leaping grab of Ben Zobrist’s line drive.

Mike Moustakas’ two-run double capped a four-run ninth after Eric Hosmer’s two-run single tied it.

“Certainly there is a different kind of nervousness involved,” Tazawa said through a translator. “But for this particular instance, I think maybe the weather, the slippery ball had more to do with it.”

With a light drizzle falling, Boston led 6-4 going into the ninth. After left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. threw out Omar Infante trying for an inside-the-park homer for the first out, Kansas City rallied with four hits against Tazawa (2-6).

Moustakas, who also had a solo homer and RBI double, sent his go-ahead hit into the right-field gap to cap a 10-pitch at-bat.

Bradley had two RBI doubles and a single for the Red Sox, who went 6-4 on a 10-game homestand – all under Lovullo, who took over for John Farrell on Aug. 14.

Farrell took a medical leave for the rest of the season to deal with Stage 1 Lymphoma.

The Royals salvaged a split of the four-game series.

Chris Young (9-6) retired one batter and Wade Davis got the final three outs for his 11th save.

Boston trailed 4-2, but scored twice in both the sixth and seventh.

Ryan Hanigan opened the seventh with a single against starter Edinson Volquez and Bradley hit a grounder inside the first-base bag. He scored on Pablo Sandoval’s infield hit on a dribbler in front of the plate.

Boston had tied it at 4 when David Ortiz had a sacrifice fly and Rusney Castillo an RBI single.

Volquez gave up six runs in 62/3 innings.

Trailing 2-1 in the fourth, the Royals scored twice, taking advantage of two errors on one play. Second baseman Josh Rutledge booted a grounder and center fielder Mookie Betts’ throw bounced into the Royals’ dugout for the first run. Moustakas followed with his RBI double. He homered into the Green Monster seats in the sixth inning.

Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed four runs – two earned – in six innings.

NOTES: Red Sox utility infielder Brock Holt was out of the lineup again Sunday. He was set to play Saturday, but was taken out of lineup after batting practice with a strained left oblique. … OF Hanley Ramirez had the day off. … Red Sox third baseman Sandoval made a pair of diving plays on grounders. … Bradley nailed Infante with his strike from deep left-center after he lost the ball in the wind and it bounced on the track. “It was just a great throw,” Royals Manager Ned Yost said. “He’s got a tremendous arm.” … The Red Sox recalled right-hander Jonathan Aro from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned right-hander Matt Barnes to Pawtucket.

Related Stories