By Jayson Henderson

Rookie right-hander Ryan Bergert made his Royals debut Tuesday night in Boston, pitching 5 2/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to the Red Sox. Acquired from the Padres last week in a three-player trade, Bergert allowed two runs, struck out two, and walked two before exiting in a tie game.

Manager Matt Quatraro turned to left-hander Angel Zerpa to face Wilyer Abreu, but Abreu doubled off the Green Monster to spark a three-run inning. Boston added three more runs in the seventh off reliever John Schreiber. Kansas City’s only offense came from Maikel Garcia’s RBI double and another run in the ninth.

Bergert, 25, joined a rotation dealing with multiple injuries, including Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic. Despite the result, his fastball and off-speed pitches showed promise, giving Kansas City hope for his role in the future.

Boston clinched the season series with the win.