Kansas City takes 7-game losing streak into matchup with Boston

Updated Jun. 30, 2021 3:20 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Kansas City Royals (33-45, fifth in the AL Central) vs. Boston Red Sox (49-31, first in the AL East)

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

PITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Mike Minor (6-5, 5.12 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 94 strikeouts) Red Sox: Martin Perez (5-4, 4.10 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 60 strikeouts)

LINE: Red Sox -163, Royals +142; over/under is 10 1/2 runs

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

The Red Sox are 25-17 in home games in 2020. Boston has slugged .442, good for third in the American League. Rafael Devers leads the team with a .570 slugging percentage, including 43 extra-base hits and 19 home runs.

The Royals are 15-26 on the road. Kansas City has hit 78 home runs as a team this season. Salvador Perez leads the club with 18, averaging one every 16.9 at-bats.

The Red Sox won the last meeting 7-6. Yacksel Rios earned his second victory and J.D. Martinez went 2-for-2 with a double and four RBIs for Boston. Jake Brentz registered his first loss for Kansas City.

TOP PERFORMERS: Devers leads the Red Sox with 43 extra base hits and is slugging .570.

Perez leads the Royals with 33 extra base hits and 47 RBIs.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 7-3, .277 batting average, 3.21 ERA, outscored opponents by 12 runs

Royals: 2-8, .254 batting average, 6.59 ERA, outscored by 27 runs

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

Royals: Daniel Tillo: (undisclosed), Jesse Hahn: (shoulder), Wade Davis: (forearm), Ronald Bolanos: (flexor), Andrew Benintendi: (rib), Emmanuel Rivera: (wrist), 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.