KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer each drove in two runs in an eight-run sixth inning to help the Kansas City Royals rally to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-4 on Saturday night, depriving Tim Wakefield of his 200th victory.
Wakefield, who is 0-2 with three no-decisions since a July 24 triumph over Seattle, took a 4-1 lead into the sixth, but failed to get out of the inning. He was pulled after giving up three consecutive hits with one out and the Red Sox holding onto a 4-3 advantage.
Gordon’s two-run double off Matt Albers (4-4) put the Royals up 6-4. Hosmer’s two-run triple off Franklin Morales capped off the scoring.
The Royals also got run-producing doubles by Jeff Francoeur and Mike Moustakas. Chris Getz’s single scored Moustakas to tie the score at 4-4.
The eight-run sixth matched a Royals season-high for an inning. Gordon led the Royals’ offense with two doubles and an eighth inning single for his 500th career hit.
The 45-year-old Wakefield gave up four runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings. Hosmer, Moustakas and Salvador Perez were not even born when Wakefield began his professional career in 1988 as a weak-hitting first baseman for Watertown in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system. He moved to the mound the next year.
Felipe Paulino (2-5) picked up the victory, allowing four runs on eight hits and three walks in six innings. Paulino won for the first time since July 5.
Boston built a 3-1 lead in the fourth when they had four singles and a walk. Carl Crawford’s single scored Dustin Pedroia, who led off the inning with a single. Darnell McDonald’s sacrifice fly scored Josh Reddick with the other run.
The Red Sox missed an opportunity for a much bigger inning when former Royal Mike Aviles flied out to deep center, leaving the bases loaded.
Boston added a run in the sixth when Ryan Lavarnway’s single brought home Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who led off the inning with a double, for his first big league RBI.
The Red Sox scored a run in the third, which Lavarnway led off with a walk, took second on a Paulino wild pitch and third on a Darnell McDonald bunt single. He scored when Marco Scutaro grounded into a double play.
Billy Butler’s double to right in the bottom of the inning scored Escobar.

NOTES — While CF Jacoby Ellsbury was held out of the Red Sox lineup with a back bruise, Scutaro returned to the lineup Saturday after missing the previous six games with a stiff back. Ellsbury suffered a contusion after being hit in the back by an Everett Teaford pitch in the eighth inning Friday. Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Ellsbury is “pretty sore” and is unsure whether he would be able to play Sunday. Darnell McDonald replaced Ellsbury, making his fourth start of the season in center. ... 2B Chris Getz was in the Royals starting lineup for the first time since Aug. 4. Johnny Giavotella, who had started 15 consecutive games at second since his Aug. 4 promotion from Class AAA Omaha, was given the day off. ... Red Sox LHP Jon Lester, who starts Sunday, is 4-1 with a 1.28 ERA in six career starts against the Royals, including a no-hitter in 2008. Lester, however, is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in his lone start at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals will start rookie LHP Danny Duffy, who yielded eight runs in three-plus innings in a Tuesday loss against the New York Yankees.