Boston @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( May 16, 2016 ) Boston 0, Kansas City 0

The defending champion Kansas City Royals snapped a streak of five straight series losses to open their homestand, but nothing is coming easily. The Royals will try to post back-to-back wins for the first time since April 21 and 22 when they host the red-hot Boston Red Sox on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series that will conclude with a doubleheader on Wednesday after Monday’s game was rained out.

Kansas City needed 13 innings to take down the major league-worst Atlanta Braves in the rubber match of a three-game set on Sunday, earning a 4-2 win when Kendrys Morales belted a walk-off home run. The victory gave the Royals their first series win since taking two of three from Baltimore at home April 22-24, and Sunday’s victory made them 6-13 since dispatching the Orioles on April 24. Kansas City used nine pitchers in Sunday’s win and will be going up against a Red Sox lineup that is averaging 9.8 runs in the last eight games, winning seven of eight. Boston is getting production from every spot in the order down to No. 9 hitter Ryan Hanigan, who went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored in a 10-9 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (6-1, 3.11 ERA) vs. Royals RH Yordano Ventura (3-2, 4.62)

Porcello has gone at least six innings in 15 consecutive starts going back to last season and turned in a quality start in six straight. The New Jersey native scattered three runs and six hits across 6 2/3 innings against Oakland on Wednesday in a game Boston went on to win 13-3. Porcello has plenty of experience against Kansas City from his time in Detroit and is 8-6 with a 4.58 ERA in 20 career starts against the Royals.

Ventura bounced back from consecutive losses by holding the New York Yankees to three runs on six hits and three walks in six innings on Wednesday. The Dominican Republic native had allowed 10 runs and issued 11 walks in eight total innings over his two previous two turns. Ventura is 1-2 with a 5.19 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox CF Jackie Bradley Jr. singled on Sunday to extend his career-best hitting streak to 21 straight games.

2. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon is 1-for-13 with three strikeouts in the last three games.

3. Boston DH David Ortiz (rest) got the day off on Sunday and is expected back in the lineup on Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 7, Royals 4