BOSTON — Fenway Park can be an unforgiving place for players unfamiliar with its quirky dimensions, which can at times seem to make its boisterous fans almost a part of the playing field. Rookie catcher Carter Jensen, though, showed no sign of intimidation in his first appearance at the ancient ballpark.
He came out swinging,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “He’s had a good, obviously, good month, good week. He feels pretty good at the plate right now. I mean, I think it helped that it gives energy, too. I mean, it can be nerve-wracking at times, but it’s also a lot of energy when you play here, and I think he thrives on that.”
Jensen, who turned 23 on July 3, opened the game with a double to center field off Boston right-hander Sonny Gray (17-5), scoring on a two-out single from Salvador Perez. In the third, Jensen’s double to left scored Isaac Collins, who had a ground-rule double to right, with Jensen scoring on Vinnie Pasquantino’s one-out single, giving the Royals a three-run lead on their way to a 3-2 win over the Red Sox on Friday night.
“He’s been on a real run, and to be able to score early is big,” Quatraro said. “We always want to play from in front, and Carter helped us do that. Salvy with the big RBI in the first and then some good things in the third there.”
Jensen extended his on-base streak to 15 games, the second-longest such streak of his career, behind only a 20-game stretch from June 6-30.
“Felt great to get off to a hot start, for sure,” Jensen said. “Good start for the road trip, getting a win, and yeah, it was a fun game all around.”
Each of Jensen’s last 11 hits has gone for extra bases, with six doubles, a triple and four home runs. It’s the longest such streak by a rookie and by a catcher in Royals’ franchise history. Jensen’s next home run will give him 24 for the season, tying Bob Hamelin’s 1994 mark for the Royals’ single-season franchise rookie record.
“I feel great,” Jensen said. “Seeing the ball well, staying within myself is the biggest thing. I’m not trying to do too much, not trying to go out there and hit a homer in every at-bat, because you know at the end of the day that’s not an attainable goal and it’s not a good way to approach. So, yeah, just trying to see the ball, put a good swing on it and be confident in myself.”
Right-hander Seth Lugo — who went five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and two walks — has confidence in his young catcher. Lugo was the beneficiary of the early runs, earning the win to improve to 7-8.
“We know [Jensen is] a very good hitter, and I threw quite a few pitches tonight that I was kind of expecting to go to the backstop,” Lugo said. “So, he did a great job back there keeping them in front, getting a glove on them. Watching what he’s been able to do this year is pretty incredible.
“He’s got a lot of energy. He’s a very good defender, very good athlete. I think he shows that every night.”
Lugo also had an impressive outing. His seven strikeouts matched a season high, as he continues to bounce back from a dismal August, in which he allowed 28 earned runs in 30 1/3 innings. The outing lowered his season road ERA from 6.19 to 6.03
Right-hander Nate Pearson pitched a scoreless eighth inning, striking out Caleb Durbin to strand the tying run at third base. He has been enjoying working with his young catcher since joining the Royals in a trade with Houston in July.
“It’s been awesome,” Pearson said. “He’s a great young player. He’s going to be in the big leagues for a long time to come. And I think it’s just surprising how young he is. You know, I didn’t really realize until I got here and everyone was saying how young he was. And I was like, wow, to be [23] years old and doing what he’s doing. I’m surprised at his catching. He rakes, obviously, but his catching behind the plate, pitch calling, I trust him 100 percent. I rarely have to shake him off. He knows the game plan going in, and especially handling the bullpen. I think he does a great job.”