Boston @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 6, 2018 ) Boston 10, Kansas City 5

The Boston Red Sox are perfect since leaving Yankee Stadium last weekend and will try to stay hot when they continue a three-game series at the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. Behind another outstanding start from Chris Sale and three home runs, the Red Sox cruised to a 10-5 win in the series opener Friday night.

Boston improved to 4-0 since dropping two of three to the Yankees, and it has outscored opponents 28-12 during the winning streak. J.D. Martinez had one of the three home runs and leads the majors with 27, while Mookie Betts went deep for the 22nd time as the Red Sox became the first team to reach 60 wins. Kansas City is careening toward a fire sale and has dropped seven in a row. David Price, who is 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA in his career against the Royals, opposes Kansas City rookie Brad Keller in Saturday's matchup on the mound.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, Fox

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH David Price (9-6, 4.28 ERA) vs. Royals RH Brad Keller (2-3, 2.09)

After going 4-1 with a 2.90 ERA in five June starts, Price opened July by letting up a season-high eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. He served up five home runs in the outing and has allowed eight over his last three starts. Salvador Perez is 5-for-14 with three home runs against the one-time Cy Young Award winner, who owns a 1.56 ERA in three career games (two starts) at Kauffman Stadium.

Keller continues to impress since being inserted into the rotation and is coming off his first career complete game, although it came in a hard-luck loss at Seattle on Sunday. He has yielded one run in 15 innings over his last two starts to lower his ERA as a starter to 2.14. The 22-year-old tossed two scoreless innings of relief over two relief appearances at Fenway Park in early May.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox OF/1B Steve Pearce has three multi-hit efforts in five games in which he has had an at-bat since being traded to the team late last month.

2. Royals 2B Whit Merrifield has hit safely in eight straight games and has an RBI in each of the last four.

3. Boston RHP Tyler Thornburg allowed a run in one inning of relief on Friday in his first outing since Oct. 2, 2016.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Royals 3