BOSTON (AP) — Garrett Crochet scattered four hits over seven innings and Trevor Story hit a blooper into center field to break a sixth-inning tie on Tuesday night and led the Boston Red Sox to their seventh straight win, 6-2 over the Kansas City Royals.
Crochet (13-4) struck out eight to win his ninth consecutive decision and help Boston win for the ninth time in 10 games. Story drove in two runs in the sixth and and added another RBI single in the three-run seventh, when the Red Sox took a 6-2 lead.
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Kansas City Royals outfielder Nick Loftin fields a hit off the Green Monster in left field by Boston Red Sox Jarren Duran in the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Kansas City Royals pitcher Angel Zerpa looks towards the Boston Red Sox dugout in the sixth of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Boston Red Sox second baseman David Hamilton fields a hit to make the out on Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story heads for first, driving in two runs in the sixth inning of a baseball game against Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet covers first base on a throw by first baseman Abraham Toro to make the out on Kansas City Royals Vinnie Pasquantino in the sixth inning, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Ryan Bergert (1-1) gave up two runs on two hits and two walks, striking out two in 5 2/3 innings. He walked Alex Bregman with two outs in the sixth, then Angel Zerpa came in and gave up a double to Wilyer Abreu before Story lofted one over the second baseman's head to make it 3-1.
The Red Sox loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh on two walks and Jarren Duran's single off the shortstop's glove. Abreu hit a popup that fell between the out-sprinting second baseman and hard-charging right fielder to score two runs, then Story singled in another run to make it 6-2.
Crochet retired the first 10 Royals batters before Bobby Witt Jr. tripled in the fourth and scored on Maikel Garcia’s double. The Red Sox ace allowed just one more hit before Garcia walked to lead off the seventh and then scored on Randal Grichuk’s double off the tip of left fielder Duran’s glove to make it 3-2.
But Crochet struck out Nick Loftin for the second out and then got Luke Maile on a 97 mph fastball to end the inning.
Garcia had two hits for the Royals.
The Red Sox are 13 games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 2021 season.
The teams finish the series and the Red Sox go for their second straight sweep when trade deadline acquisition Dustin May (6-7, 4.85 ERA) makes his Red Sox debut against Kansas City’s Michael Wacha (5-9, 3.38).
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Kansas City Royals outfielder Nick Loftin fields a hit off the Green Monster in left field by Boston Red Sox Jarren Duran in the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Kansas City Royals pitcher Angel Zerpa looks towards the Boston Red Sox dugout in the sixth of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Boston Red Sox second baseman David Hamilton fields a hit to make the out on Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story heads for first, driving in two runs in the sixth inning of a baseball game against Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet covers first base on a throw by first baseman Abraham Toro to make the out on Kansas City Royals Vinnie Pasquantino in the sixth inning, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.
The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the tanker, named Veronica, early Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media. The ship had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s "established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” she said.
U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to take part in the operation alongside a Coast Guard tactical team, which Noem said conducted the boarding as in previous raids. The military said the ship was seized “without incident.”
Several U.S. government social media accounts posted brief videos that appeared to show various parts of the ship’s capture. Black-and-white footage showed at least four helicopters approaching the ship before hovering over the deck while armed troops dropped down by rope. At least nine people could be seen on the deck of the ship.
The Veronica is the sixth sanctioned tanker seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.
The Veronica last transmitted its location on Jan. 3 as being at anchor off the coast of Aruba, just north of Venezuela’s main oil terminal. According to the data it transmitted at the time, it was partially filled with crude.
The ship is currently listed as flying the flag of Guyana and is considered part of the shadow fleet that moves cargoes of oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.
According to its registration data, the ship also has been known as the Gallileo, owned and managed by a company in Russia. In addition, a tanker with the same registration number previously sailed under the name Pegas and was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for moving cargoes of illicit Russian oil.
As with prior posts about such raids, Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law. Noem argued that the multiple captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House later Thursday, Noem declined to say how many sanctioned oil tankers the U.S. is tracking or whether the government is keeping tabs on freighters beyond the Caribbean Sea.
“I can’t speak to the specifics of the operation, although we are watching the entire shadow fleet and how they’re moving,” she told reporters.
However, other officials in Trump's Republican administration have made clear that they see the actions as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.
Trump met with executives from oil companies last week to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution. His administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro’s capture and the ship also has been known as the Gallileo, not the Galileo.
Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)
