Boston @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2018 ) Boston 15, Kansas City 4

The Boston Red Sox took a bit longer than usual to get going in their last time out, but once the majors' best offense got rolling, the Kansas City Royals' league-worst pitching staff was powerless to do anything about it. The Red Sox, coming off their best offensive performance of the season, seek their second straight road series sweep Sunday when they meet the Royals.

Boston (major league-best 61-29) found itself in a tie game in the seventh inning with the worst home team in the majors Saturday when Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi sparked an 11-run outburst over the final three innings en route to a 15-4 triumph. All 11 Red Sox batters who played had at least one RBI, and only struggling Jackie Bradley Jr. failed to contribute to the 16-hit onslaught. Boston has piled up 25 runs and 31 hits through two games this weekend against Kansas City (25-63), which owns the worst staff ERA in baseball (5.34) and has lost 14 of its last 15 at home to fall to 11-34 at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals are one loss away from their third nine-game skid of the season and 38 games below .500 for the first time since ending the 2006 season 62-100.

TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), FS Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (10-3, 3.57 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jakob Junis (5-10, 5.13)

Porcello did a bit of everything in Monday's win at Washington, delivering a three-run double in the second inning in addition to pitching six frames of two-run ball to get the victory. The 2016 American League Cy Young Award winner was also sharp in his previous road outing, allowing one hit and one walk across seven innings to beat Minnesota. Salvador Perez (8-for-30) and Alex Gordon (11-for-46) have each homered twice against Porcello, who is 8-8 with a 4.71 ERA in 22 starts versus Kansas City.

Junis lost his seventh straight start Monday against Cleveland, surrendering career highs in runs (nine) and earned runs (eight) across 5 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old, who has given up at least five runs in four of his last five turns, has yielded 13 home runs and posted a 7.59 ERA during his losing streak. Junis permitted a home run to Mitch Moreland but settled for a no-decision in Boston on May 1, allowing two runs across six frames in his first career start versus the Red Sox.

WALK-OFFS

1. Benintendi went 2-for-2 with a home run and four walks Saturday, becoming the first Red Sox player since David Ortiz in 2007 to draw four free passes and hit a homer in the same game.

2. The Royals issued 13 free passes Saturday, one shy of the franchise record.

3. Betts is 9-for-15 with four solo homers, five RBIs and six runs scored in his last three games against Kansas City.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 9, Royals 2