Boston Red Sox

Kansas City takes 4-game skid into matchup with Boston

Published Jun. 5, 2019 3:21 a.m. ET

Boston Red Sox (31-29, third in the AL East) vs. Kansas City Royals (19-41, fifth in the AL Central)

Kansas City, Kansas; Wednesday, 8:15 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Red Sox: Chris Sale (1-7, 4.35 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 98 strikeouts) Royals: Jakob Junis (4-5, 5.35 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 61 strikeouts)

BOTTOM LINE: Kansas City enters the game as losers of their last four games.

The Royals are 11-18 on their home turf. The Kansas City pitching staff has a team ERA of 5.27, Brad Keller leads the staff with a mark of 4.50.

The Red Sox are 17-17 on the road. Boston's team on-base percentage of .336 is third in the American League. Xander Bogaerts leads the club with an OBP of .383. The Red Sox won the last meeting 8-3. Eduardo Rodriguez earned his sixth victory and Eduardo Nunez went 1-for-1 with a home run and three RBIs for Boston. Scott Barlow registered his second loss for Kansas City.

TOP PERFORMERS: Whit Merrifield leads the Royals with 73 hits and has 28 RBIs. Jorge Soler is 7-for-37 with four home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games for Kansas City.

Bogaerts leads the Red Sox with 12 home runs and has 40 RBIs. J.D. Martinez is 11-for-40 with two doubles, a triple, three home runs and four RBIs over the last 10 games for Boston.

LAST 10 GAMES: Royals: 2-8, .249 batting average, 5.38 ERA, outscored by 21 runs

Red Sox: 4-6, .277 batting average, 5.02 ERA, outscored opponents by four runs

Royals Injuries: Trevor Oaks: 60-day IL (hip), Jesse Hahn: 60-day IL (elbow), Lucas Duda: 10-day IL (lumbar strain), Hunter Dozier: 10-day IL (chest), Salvador Perez: 60-day IL (elbow).

Red Sox Injuries: Hector Velazquez: 10-day IL (back), Tyler Thornburg: 10-day IL (hip), Brian Johnson: 10-day IL (elbow), Nathan Eovaldi: 10-day IL (elbow), Dustin Pedroia: 60-day IL (knee), Steve Pearce: 10-day IL (back spasms), Mitch Moreland: 10-day IL (back), Tzu-Wei Lin: 10-day IL (knee).