Kansas City takes 6-game skid into matchup with Boston

Updated Jun. 29, 2021 3:20 a.m. ET

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Kansas City Royals (33-44, fifth in the AL Central) vs. Boston Red Sox (48-31, first in the AL East)

Boston; Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Brad Keller (6-8, 6.40 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 67 strikeouts) Red Sox: Nick Pivetta (6-3, 4.00 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 94 strikeouts)

LINE: Red Sox -187, Royals +163; over/under is 10 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: Kansas City enters the matchup as losers of their last six games.

The Red Sox are 24-17 in home games in 2020. The Boston offense has compiled a .258 batting average as a team this season, good for third in the MLB. Xander Bogaerts leads the team with an average of .329.

The Royals have gone 15-25 away from home. Kansas City has slugged .386 this season. Salvador Perez leads the team with a .503 slugging percentage, including 33 extra-base hits and 18 home runs.

The Red Sox won the last meeting 6-5. Hirokazu Sawamura secured his fourth victory and Hunter Renfroe went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs for Boston. Josh Staumont took his second loss for Kansas City.

TOP PERFORMERS: Bogaerts leads the Red Sox with 91 hits and has 46 RBIs.

Perez leads the Royals with 33 extra base hits and is batting .273.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 6-4, .269 batting average, 3.15 ERA, outscored opponents by nine runs

Royals: 3-7, .249 batting average, 6.08 ERA, outscored by 24 runs

INJURIES: Red Sox: Chris Sale: (elbow), Ryan Brasier: (left calf), Christian Arroyo: (knee), Kevin Plawecki: (hamstring).

Royals: Daniel Tillo: (undisclosed), Jesse Hahn: (shoulder), Ronald Bolanos: (flexor), Andrew Benintendi: (rib), Adalberto Mondesi: (oblique), Cam Gallagher: (shoulder).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Xander Bogaerts

Salvador Perez

Cam Gallagher

Josh Staumont

Brad Keller

Hunter Renfroe

Jesse Hahn

Chris Sale

Ryan Brasier

Kevin Plawecki

Ronald Bolaños

Daniel Tillo

Christian Arroyo

Boston Red Sox

Kansas City Royals