BOSTON (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer, Yordano Ventura pitched six effective innings and the AL Central-leading Kansas City Royals beat the Red Sox 6-3 Saturday night, ending Boston’s four-game winning streak.

Kendrys Morales added a two-run double and Alex Rios had three singles and an RBI for Kansas City. Following losses the first two nights, the Royals can earn a split of the four-game series Sunday.

Mookie Betts hit a solo homer and David Ortiz had two singles and three walks for the Red Sox. Boston had won four of the five meetings this season, and 10 of 12 since the start of 2014.

Ventura (8-7) gave up one run and six hits, striking out six. He improved to 4-0 in his last six starts. Greg Holland got Travis Shaw to pop out with the bases loaded for final out, earning his 28th save.

Leading 2-0 in the sixth, the Royals chased Matt Barnes (3-4) when Perez homered.

Morales lined his double off the Green Monster in the first.

Ventura stranded five runners in the first four innings before Boston scored on Shaw’s groundout in the sixth. Betts homered over the Monster off Ryan Madson.

Making just his second major league start, Barnes gave up five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Alex Gordon is set to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha Sunday. He’s been on the DL since early July with a strained groin. . C Perez took a foul ball off the mask and was shaken up, but stayed in the game.

Red Sox: Utility player Brock Holt was in the original lineup, but was scratched with a strained left oblique after batting practice. … Ortiz fouled a ball off his right foot in his first at-bat, and limped a bit. … Interim manager Torey Lovullo said RHP Rick Porcello (soreness, right triceps) could return on the upcoming road trip after he said he “felt great” at the end of a rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket Friday.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez (11-7) is scheduled to make his team-leading 26th start in the series finale Sunday. He’s held hitters to a .178 average with runners in scoring position, second best in the AL.

Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5) is looking to follow his solid outing earlier this week. The rookie 22-year-old pitched eight innings of one-run ball, earning the win against Cleveland on Tuesday.

— Associated Press —

BOSTON (AP) — When you’re the defending AL champion and you have a double-digit lead in the division, it’s easy to shrug off a two-game slump.

Johnny Cueto had his worst start since coming to Kansas City, the Royals committed a pair of errors and they managed just four hits against a rookie making his fourth start on Friday as they fell to the Red Sox for the second straight night.

“No aspect of our game was tremendously good tonight,” manager Ned Yost said after the 7-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox. “It’s rare when it happens, but it happens.”

The Royals entered the series against last-place Boston with a 14 1/2-game lead in the division and a five-game winning streak.

Cueto (2-2) had allowed just six runs in four previous starts for the AL Central-leading Royals. He allowed six earned runs and 13 hits on Friday, striking out three before leaving after six innings. The Royals also committed two errors, leading to another run.

“He’s been doing a good job since we got him,” center fielder Lorenzo Cain said of the right-hander who was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds just before the trading deadline. “Unfortunately, I just speak for myself, I played terribly.”

Henry Owens made the longest start of his short career, pitching eight innings of four-hit ball. Blake Swihart had four hits and Mookie Betts three for the Red Sox, who tied a season high with their fourth win in a row.

A 23-year-old lefty who is one of Boston’s top pitching prospects, Owens (2-1) was making his fourth career start since being called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on Aug. 4. He pitched well in his first two outings, but gave up seven runs and 10 hits in a loss to Seattle on Sunday.

Owens allowed Kansas City one earned run and four hits and a walk, striking out four in eight innings. The Red Sox got to Cueto for three runs in the second inning, two in the fourth, and two more in the sixth.

Josh Rutledge hit a two-run homer for Boston. Alcides Escobar hit a solo shot for the Royals.

BAD PLAYS

Boston led 4-1 in the fourth when Betts lofted a blooper to right-center. Cain ran hard for it, and when he tried to scoop it up on one hop he swatted it away, into right field. Betts took second, and Swihart scored from first. The Royals also made an error in Boston’s three-run second, when Escobar just failed to field a relay throw from the outfield.

HOT CATCHER

Swihart, another 23-year-old rookie, had his second career four-hit game, and he was in the middle of all three Boston rallies. He doubled in a run and scored in the second; he singled in a run and scored in the fourth; and he singled to start the sixth-inning rally, scoring on Rutledge’s homer.

“He’s a great student of the game,” said Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, who is filling in as manager while John Farrell is being treated for lymphoma. “He pays attention, and we feel like it’s a really good sign of things to come.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 2B Omar Infante returned to the lineup after missing three straight games with back spasms.

Red Sox: RHP Clay Buchholz, who received a plasma-rich platelet injection in his elbow after the All-Star break, has not been cleared to resume throwing, Lovullo said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura (7-7) makes his 20th start of the season. Ventura went seven innings in his previous start, allowing two runs and five hits and struck out seven for the Royals in a 4-3 win over the Angels in 10 innings Sunday.

Red Sox: RHP Matt Barnes (3-3) is set to make his second major league start after getting rocked in his first. Barnes allowed six runs over five innings in an 8-2 loss to Cleveland on Monday.

— Associated Press —

BOSTON (AP) — Travis Shaw and Jackie Bradley Jr. are making the most of their late-season tryout.

Shaw had a pair of hits and Bradley laced an RBI triple to right on Thursday night to help the Boston Red Sox beat Kansas City 4-1 and end the Royals’ five-game winning streak.

Bradley’s last nine hits have been for extra bases.

“This is a wave that every player wants to get on, and we’re enjoying it,” said bench coach Torey Lovullo, who is filling in for manager John Farrell while he undergoes treatment for lymphoma.

Ryan Hanigan drove in two runs and scored another on Bradley’s triple. Wade Miley (10-9) allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings as the Red Sox improved to 5-2 under Lovullo.

Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts also had two hits apiece for Boston.

For Shaw, it was the fifth multihit game in a week. Shaw is batting .434 since his Aug. 1 call-up, and Bradley is hitting .409 since Aug. 6.

“He’s a special player,” said Bradley, who was the higher-rated prospect but who struggled early in the majors and was hitting just .102 on Aug. 5. “I know what he’s capable of. He knows what he’s capable of. I’m glad he’s getting to show it on this stage.”

Miley allowed one run on six hits while striking out six. Junichi Tazawa pitched the ninth for his second save.

Salvador Perez had two of the Royals’ six hits. The AL Central leaders had won 10 of their last 12 to open a 14 1-2 game lead in the AL Central.

“We know what we have to do: We have to go out there and continue to play good baseball,” third baseman Mike Moustakas said. “We don’t ever take any days off.”

Danny Duffy (6-6) gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out three in five innings.

Duffy loaded the bases in the first before walking Shaw to score a run. The Red Sox made it 4-0 in the third when Hanigan singled with runners on second and third, then scored on Bradley’s triple.

MEET THE NEW BOSS

The Red Sox have won three in a row — and both of their games since former Tigers boss Dave Dombrowski was hired as president of baseball operations on Tuesday. General manager Ben Cherington declined to stick around in a lesser role.

“I come here every day trying to prove I belong,” said Shaw, who was a lifetime .261 hitter in the minors and is now batting .382 with Boston. “Especially with the new boss.”

JBJ

Bradley has hit safely in 12 of the last 14 games — including a five-hit, five-run, two-homer, seven-RBI game against Seattle on Saturday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LF Alex Gordon is scheduled to join Triple-A Omaha this weekend and start a rehab assignment as he returns from a groin strain that has kept him out since early July. Gordon was with the Royals for the series opener Thursday and said the plan is to start as DH and alternate games with limited time in the outfield.

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia could return from a nagging hamstring injury in early September. Lovullo said Pedroia had another MRI on the right hamstring and still needs to regain some strength before he’s ready to return to the lineup.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Johnny Cueto (2-1) makes his fifth AL start in the second game of the four-game series.

Red Sox: LHP Henry Owens (1-1) makes his fourth career start.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Four hits in one game is nothing new to Ben Zobrist.

Seeing a team mess up an Infield Fly Rule situation? That’s another story.

The Kansas City second baseman watched as the Cincinnati Reds committed a key baserunning gaffe, helping the Royals beat the Reds 4-3 on Wednesday night to complete a two-game sweep.

Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie left in the fifth with the 4-3 lead and the bases loaded and one out. Luke Hochevar (1-0) got Jay Bruce to pop up along the first base line. Bruce was out under the Infield Fly Rule, but Jason Bourgeois tried to score when the ball dropped, and Hochevar threw to catcher Drew Butera, who easily tagged out Bourgeois to end the inning.

“I’ve never seen that before,” said Zobrist, who had four hits for the eighth time in his career. “That was interesting. I didn’t know if they’d send him back to third or what. That was a heads-up play by Butera to make sure.”

Bourgeois reacted to seeing the ball drop, Reds manager Bryan Price said.

“We had some miscommunication on the infield fly,” Price said. “He knows the rule. It was just a reaction. He felt obliged to run.”

No Reds players were available when the clubhouse opened after the game.

Lorenzo Cain had a tiebreaking RBI single in the second inning, as the Royals completed a sweep of the four-game season series. The Royals have won five straight and the Reds have lost five straight.

Ryan Madson and Kelvin Herrera each turned in one scoreless relief inning before Wade Davis pitched the ninth for his 10th save.

Keyvius Sampson (2-2) gave up the four runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two in his fourth career start.

Zobrist and Eric Hosmer both had RBI hits in the first inning to extend hitting streaks, Zobrist to six games (13 for 23, .565) and Hosmer to 10 (13 for 38, .342).

Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips tied the score with back-to-back solo homers in the bottom of the inning, Votto’s 22nd and Phillips’ ninth before Zobrist’s double set up Cain’s two-run single.

“He kept the line moving all night long,” manager Ned Yost said of Zobrist. “He set up run-scoring opportunities.”

Eugenio Suarez cut the lead to 4-3 in the third with an RBI double to center field.

Guthrie lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs with three walks, four strikeouts and a wild pitch.

The start of the game was delayed for 1 hour, 37 minutes by rain.

WORTH A LOOK

Salvador Perez’s day off prompted Yost to try a lineup he hadn’t used since his days managing Milwaukee. He batted Guthrie eighth and left fielder Jarron Dyson ninth. “It gives us double leadoff guys,” Yost said. “We wrote it up both ways and this looked better.”

BE YOURSELF

The Reds promoted RHP Sam LeCure from Triple-A Louisville. LeCure spent most of the previous five seasons with Cincinnati, including all of the last three, before surprisingly being cut in spring training. He blamed many of his problems on trying to be somebody he’s not. “I got out of who I was,” he said. “I’m not Aroldis Chapman. Once I got back to who I was, my stuff returned to normal, which is unremarkable but enough to get outs.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: INF Omar Infante was available to play Wednesday after being scratched from Tuesday’s starting lineup with back spasms. Yost said he would try to give Infante one more day off and use him in Boston.

Reds: Phillips left the game after six innings with inflammation in his right biceps tendon.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (6-5, 4.03) starts the first game of Kansas City’s four-game series at Boston’s Fenway Park. The Royals are 8-2 in Duffy’s 10 starts since he came off the DL on June 24.

Reds: LHP John Lamb (0-1, 7.50) is scheduled to make his second career start when the Reds open a four-game series against the Diamondbacks on Thursday.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jarrod Dyson wasn’t even in Kansas City’s original starting lineup Tuesday night.

Dyson, who started after Omar Infante was scratched with back spasms, scored the tie-breaking run from first base on pitcher Ryan Mattheus’ throwing error and the Royals went on to a 3-1, 13-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

“That’s why, every day, you’ve got to show up ready to play,” said Dyson, who went 2 for 5 with a stolen base. “The unexpected can happen, and you’ve got to prepare for it.”

Ben Zobrist tied the game 1-1 with a homer in the ninth inning off Reds closer Aroldis Chapman who had converted 56 consecutive save opportunities at home since blowing one against Houston on Sept. 7, 2012.

“I didn’t do anything different,” Chapman said through assistant trainer-interpreter Tomas Vera. “All I can tell you is I had a bad day. I made a mistake.”

Dyson led off the 13th with a single and scored when Mattheus (1-4) threw a sacrifice bunt by Kris Medlen (1-0) down the right field line.

Greg Holland finished for his 27th save.

Zobrist, who scored the winning run in the 10th inning of Kansas City’s 4-3 win over the Angels on Sunday, stunned the crowd of 28,719 by leading off the ninth with his 10th homer of the season on a 2-1 pitch from Chapman.

“He’s made a pretty big difference,” manager Ned Yost said of Zobrist, acquired from Oakland on July 28. “He’s become a pretty big piece for us.”

Zobrist’s approach was the key, Reds manager Bryan Price said.

“The thing about Zobrist is he knows the strike zone, and he didn’t get behind,” Price said.

Lorenzo Cain followed Zobrist with a single and stole second and third while Eric Hosmer was striking out. Cain was ruled safe on the rundown that started with Salvador Perez’s grounder to second baseman Brandon Phillips, but Cain was ruled out after a replay review that lasted just under 3 1-2 minutes.

Reds starter Raisel Iglesias allowed one runner past second base while scattering three hits and a walk with three strikeouts over seven innings. He extended his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 12, dating to the first inning of his last start on Aug. 12 in San Diego.

Eugenio Suarez homered off Kansas City right-hander Edison Volquez with one out in the first, giving Cincinnati a 1-0 lead with his eighth home run of the season.

Volquez, who played for the Reds, allowed four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in six innings.

NO CASE

Yost was ejected for arguing after a replay review upheld the out call on Alcides Escobar with no outs in the 11th. Escobar was thrown out by center fielder Billy Hamilton trying to stretch a single into a double. Hamilton just missed making a diving catch of Escobar’s sinking liner into right-center field.

BUTCHER BOY

Iglesias logged his first career hit in the fifth with Brayan Pena on first and one out. Iglesias, hitless in his first 19 at-bats, squared to bunt, then pulled his bat back and hit a chopper near second. Shortstop Escobar fielded the ball, but with the defense scrambling to cover the possible bunt, Escobar had nobody to throw to at first base.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Yost scratched Infante from the original starting lineup after he developed back spasms. Zobrist was moved from left field to second base and left fielder Dyson got the start in Infante’s slot. Infante is day-to-day, Yost said.

Reds: Hamilton left the game after the 11th inning with a jammed left shoulder he sustained while trying to make a diving, backhanded catch on Escobar’s sinking liner. He’ll be re-examined Wednesday, Price said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (8-7, 5.63) is 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in eight career interleague starts going into his scheduled appearance on Wednesday at Cincinnati.

Reds: RHP Keyvius Sampson (2-1, 3.18) will take a two-start winning streak into his first career interleague appearance on Wednesday.

— Associated Press —