Kansas City Royals (40-74, fourth in the AL Central) vs. Boston Red Sox (60-55, third in the AL East)
Boston; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Jakob Junis (6-10, 5.03 ERA) Red Sox: Andrew Cashner (10-6, 4.44 ERA)
LINE: Red Sox favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 10 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: Boston can secure a series sweep over Kansas City with a win.
The Red Sox are 28-29 on their home turf. The Boston offense has compiled a .275 batting average as a team this season, good for first in the league. Rafael Devers leads the team with a mark of .323.
The Royals are 17-39 on the road. Kansas City has a collective .247 this season, led by Whit Merrifield with an average of .300. The Red Sox won the last meeting 7-5. Rick Porcello earned his 10th victory and Devers went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI for Boston. Mike Montgomery registered his fifth loss for Kansas City.
TOP PERFORMERS: Xander Bogaerts leads the Red Sox with 25 home runs and is batting .312. Mookie Betts is 11-for-39 with two doubles, four home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games for Boston.
Jorge Soler leads the Royals with 29 home runs and has 75 RBIs. Meibrys Viloria is 4-for-16 with a double, a home run and five RBIs over the last 10 games for Kansas City.
LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 3-7, .280 batting average, 6.52 ERA, outscored by 13 runs
Royals: 1-9, .234 batting average, 6.80 ERA, outscored by 39 runs
Red Sox Injuries: Steven Wright: 10-day IL (toe), Heath Hembree: 10-day IL (elbow), Mookie Betts: day-to-day (shin), Dustin Pedroia: 60-day IL (knee), Steve Pearce: 10-day IL (back), J.D. Martinez: day-to-day (back).
Royals Injuries: Trevor Oaks: 60-day IL (hip), Jesse Hahn: 60-day IL (elbow), Adalberto Mondesi: 10-day IL (shoulder), Salvador Perez: 60-day IL (elbow).
