KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — One season after winning the World Series, the Boston Red Sox are playing spoiler — and doing all they can to extend a playoff drought in Kansas City that’s lasted nearly three decades.

Allen Webster pitched six solid innings and Jemile Weeks stroked a pair of doubles and scored two runs as the Red Sox defeated the sputtering Royals 4-2 on Friday night.

Kansas City lost for the fourth time in five games and fell out of first place in the AL Central for the first time since Aug. 10. The Royals, who are 0-5 against the last-place Red Sox, dropped a half-game behind Detroit, which beat Cleveland 7-2.

“Any time you can spoil it for another team is big,” Weeks said.

Webster (4-3), who had allowed 15 runs on 16 hits and seven walks in 13 2/3 innings over his previous three starts, limited the Royals to four hits — including Eric Hosmer’s two-run homer in the fourth.

“I just tried to forget about it and attack hitters,” Webster said. “Attack them and let the defense work behind me.”

Weeks, who had a two-run double in the ninth inning Thursday, doubled in the third and fifth. Mookie Betts singled home Weeks in a three-run third. He scored again on Daniel Nava’s two-out single in the fifth.

“They’re in the hunt,” Betts said. “Since we’re not in it, we might as well put everybody else out of it that we can, but mostly we’re just having fun playing the game.”

The Royals, who have not reached the postseason since winning the 1985 World Series, are having anything but fun.

“I think everyone is trying a little bit too hard,” Alex Gordon said. “It’s just not coming together right now. There’s a lot going on just because we’re in the middle of a pennant race and we’re not swinging well. We’ve got to move on.

“I think it’s just frustration. I don’t think pressing as (much as) it is frustrating. The pitching is doing the job. We just need to step up and forget about what we did tonight.”

The Royals aided the Red Sox in the third, with Betts scoring on third baseman Mike Moustakas’ throwing error and Nava scoring on Yordano Ventura’s wild pitch.

“We definitely could have played better,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Ventura (12-10), who had won his previous three starts, gave up four runs — three earned — and seven hits in seven innings. He also hit two batters with pitches.

Red Sox relievers Tommy Layne, Burke Badenhop, Koji Uehara and Edward Mujica held the Royals hitless for the final three innings. Mujica earned his sixth save.

GOT YOUR NUMBER

Red Sox pitchers are 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA this season against the Royals, holding them to a .206 batting average and nine extra-base hits.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: DH David Ortiz (bruised right foot) and 1B Mike Napoli (sore toe and dislocated finger) did not play. … INF Brock Holt is out with concussion-like symptoms after being examined by a specialist in Pittsburgh.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy, who missed his turn Thursday with a tender shoulder, made about 30 throws at 75 feet on flat ground. He said his goal is to make his next start, which would be Tuesday against the White Sox. … DH Josh Willingham injured his groin in his final at-bat Thursday and will be out for at least a couple of games.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Rubby De La Rosa, who is 0-2 with a 6.20 ERA in his past five starts, will pitch the third game of the series. De La Rosa has allowed 37 hits and walked 11 in 24 2/3 innings over those five starts.

Royals: Jeremy Guthrie will make his 23rd appearance and 21st start against Boston on Saturday. He is 3-9 with a 5.06 ERA against the Red Sox and has not defeated them since 2011.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The last-place Boston Red Sox took advantage of three critical errors by the first-place Kansas City Royals, pulling away late in a 6-3 victory Thursday night that ended a four-game losing streak.

Clay Buchholz (8-8) allowed three runs, two earned, over 6 1/3 innings for the Red Sox. He turned a one-run lead over to the Boston bullpen, and it preserved his sixth straight win against the Royals. Edward Mujica handled a perfect ninth for his fifth save.

Kansas City’s advantage in the AL Central dropped to a half-game over idle Detroit.

Liam Hendriks (1-2) failed to last three innings while making a spot start for left-hander Danny Duffy, who is shelved with shoulder soreness. The Royals’ defense didn’t do Hendriks any favors, making all three errors in the first four frames.

— Associated Press —

DETROIT (AP) — James Shields allowed two hits over seven innings in another terrific performance, and the Kansas City Royals edged Detroit 3-0 on Wednesday night to take a one-game lead over the Tigers atop the AL Central.

Shields (14-7) gave up a single to Ian Kinsler leading off the first. Then he picked off Kinsler — and retired every other batter he faced until another Detroit single in the seventh. The Tigers put two on that inning, but Shields worked out of the jam.

Kelvin Herrera pitched the eighth and Wade Davis finished for his third save.

Rick Porcello (15-11) pitched well for the Tigers, but Kansas City pushed across two runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Salvador Perez and Lorenzo Cain.

Alcides Escobar added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Detroit won the first two games of the series to pull into a virtual tie for first in the division, but the Royals avoided a sweep. The teams have a three-game series in Kansas City that starts Sept. 19.

Shields was acquired in December 2012 in a trade that sent top prospect Wil Myers to Tampa Bay. Myers won Rookie of the Year honors last season, but now Shields has helped put the Royals in contention for their first postseason appearance since 1985.

He came within two outs of a shutout in New York on Friday in a 1-0 win over the Yankees, and the Tigers didn’t fare any better against the 32-year-old right-hander. Shields struck out eight and walked one on Wednesday, throwing 98 pitches. Torii Hunter’s comebacker hit Shields in the back of his right leg in the first, but the Kansas City starter was able to continue.

In the seventh, Hunter managed a single and Miguel Cabrera walked, but Davis retired Victor Martinez on a deep fly and struck out J.D. Martinez.

Porcello allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings, striking out seven without a walk. He allowed consecutive singles to Josh Willingham, Eric Hosmer and Perez with one out in the fourth, and Cain’s two-out single made it 2-0.

The game was delayed 42 minutes by rain at the start, and in the fourth it was raining hard enough to send fans toward the concourse, but there were no more delays.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: All-Star closer Greg Holland sat out again, despite the tight score in the late innings. He hasn’t pitched since Sept. 3 because of a triceps issue.

Tigers: RHP Joakim Soria (left oblique strain) was activated from the disabled list before the game. He allowed a run in the ninth. … Left-handed reliever Phil Coke left in the eighth with an apparent injury after being unable to field Hosmer’s bunt.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Liam Hendriks (1-1) starts in Boston against Clay Buchholz (7-8) on Thursday night. Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy is missing that turn in the rotation because of a sore shoulder.

Tigers: Detroit has an off day Thursday, followed by a home series against Cleveland. Tigers LHP David Price (13-11) starts against Cleveland RHP Carlos Carrasco (7-4) on Friday night.

— Associated Press —