Kansas City @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( May 27, 2010 ) Kansas City 4, Boston 3
Things were supposed to be getting easier for the Boston Red Sox.
Heading home after a stretch of 13 games against the best teams in baseball, Boston began a four-game series at Fenway Park against the Kansas City Royals.
But Daisuke Matsuzaka returned to his wild ways on the mound and the Royals took advantage to win the series opener 4-3. The two teams meet again tonight with Kansas City riding a modest two-game winning streak.
Kyle Davies starts for Kansas City. Davies was a tough-luck loser in his last start when he allowed just one run in six innings in a 3-0 loss at Colorado.
Davies yielded just a solo home run to Troy Tulowitzki with two outs in the sixth inning. But Kansas City couldn’t make a dent in Jeff Francis in the contest, the second time in the last three starts by Davies that the Royals were shut out.
Aside from an awful outing in Texas, Davies has been solid for much of the season. He allowed nine runs in that game to the Rangers but no more than four in any other start this season. The Royals defeated Boston 4-3 in Davies’ first start of the season but the 26-year-old right-hander did not figure in the decision.
Tim Wakefield will make the start for Boston, which had its five-game winning streak snapped Thursday. In the process, Boston’s string of dominant starting performances also ended at five.
While Matsuzaka allowed just two hits to the Royals in his 4 2/3 innings, he tied a career high with eight walks. Matsuzaka allowed five walks in the fifth inning alone when Kansas City scored three times.
Boston has won eight of its last 10 games and has done so relying on its depth. Both Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron, who have missed most of the season due to injury, were out of Thursday’s lineup.
When Ellsbury will play again is a mystery.
He returned to the lineup last week after spending all but the first six games of the season on the disabled list with four broken ribs. Ellsbury then played three games going 1-for-14, but since has complained of tenderness in his side and missed four straight games.
Manager Terry Francona did not expect Ellsbury back in the fold anytime soon but also said he didn’t plan on putting him back on the disabled list.
Jeremy Hermida and Bill Hall took the spots of Ellsbury and Cameron in Thursday’s game.
Boston expects to get Victor Martinez back at catcher. Martinez has missed three straight starts with a bruised toe. He made the final out of Thursday’s game as a pinch hitter.