KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jarrod Dyson will be receiving a text from catcher and former Kansas City Royals teammate Drew Butera.

“I’m going to tell him, `that what speed do,” Butera quipped.

Butera hit a tiebreaking, three-run inside-the-park home run when center fielder Jake Cave failed in his attempt to make a diving catch in the seventh inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat Minnesota 5-3 on Sunday to take three in a row from the Twins and complete their first series sweep in a year.

Waved home by third-base coach Mike Jirschele, Butera slid in ahead of second baseman Brian Dozier’s throw for the first inside-the-park-homer by a Royals catcher since Brent Mayne on Sept. 22, 1991. The 97th inside-the-park homer in Royals history was the first since Jarrod Dyson’s on July 8, 2015.

“I’ll add it to a list of really weird things I’ve done in my career,” Butera said.

Kansas City had not swept a series since last July 24-26 at Detroit, part of a nine-game winning streak. The Royals, who are 30-68, matched their longest winning streak of the season at three games.

With the score 2-2, Lucas Duda singled off Zach Duke (3-4) leading off the seventh and Alcides Escobar walked with two outs. Butera, a slow-footed catcher with no stolen bases in nine major league seasons, hit a liner just to the right-field side of short center. As Cave landed on his stomach, the ball bounced to the warning track, where it was retrieved by right fielder Max Kepler at the base of the wall.

“It was like Evel Knievel,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He pulled the parachute too early. Soon as he hit third base, he looked like he was running under water.”

Butera slid in ahead of second baseman Brian Dozier’s throw.

“After I saw him dive, I thought I’d get to third, and there was no sense in sending me unless the right fielder and left fielder fell down,” Butera said.

Cave did not second-guess his decision.

“When I first made the read, I thought I had a chance for it,” Cave said. “I just wanted to make a play for my pitcher, and it kind of went the wrong direction. Hindsight’s 20-20. Looking back at it now, maybe I should have gone another way, but I’ve played the game one way my whole life, that’s aggressive and hard, and I don’t want to stop that.”

Twins manager Paul Molitor did not fault Cave.

“I’m glad he went for it,” Molitor said. “You’ve got a chance to make a play. We had put him playing shallow, trying to throw a guy out and moved him in a little bit closer with two strikes. It just was dying. He tried to get there. I give him credit. He didn’t back off.”

Brad Keller (3-4) struck out a career-high eight in seven-plus innings, allowing three runs and three hits. He had given up nine runs, 13 hits and nine walks over 6 2/3 innings in his previous two starts.

Kepler’s home run leading off the eighth was the first off Keller in 63 1/3 innings. Wily Peralta worked around a two-out walk in the ninth for his fourth save in as many chances.

Twins starter Jake Odorizzi gave up two runs — one earned — and two hits over six innings.

Dozier hit an RBI double in the fourth and scored on Logan Morrison’s groundout. Alex Gordon hit a two-run double in the fifth after third baseman Eduardo Escobar, shifted into right field, allowed Duda’s grounder to bounce off his wrist for an error.

EXTRA BASES

Gordon has 500 extra-base hits and only George Brett, Hal McRae, Frank White and Amos Otis have more with the Royals.

TRADING PLACES

Royals: OF Brian Goodwin was acquired from the Nationals for minor league pitcher Jacob Condra-Bogan. The 27-year-old Goodwin hit .200 in 48 games with Washington.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: RHP Ervin Santana (right middle finger surgery) is to come off the DL and make his season debut Wednesday at Toronto. “We think that keeping him on his regular turn would be good,” Twins manager Paul Molitor. Santana allowed one run in six innings Friday for Triple-A Rochester.

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (oblique strain) likely will miss several turns, ending his streak at eight seasons of 30 or more starts. Kennedy has been limited to cardio activities and no throwing since going back on the DL on July 11.

UP NEXT

Twins: LHP Adalberto Mejia (0-0) is to be recalled from Triple-A Rochester and start Monday at Toronto. He went 5-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 11 starts and three relief appearances in the International League. He lost on June 30 in his only appearance for the Twins this year, allowing four runs in four innings against the Chicago White Sox.

Royals: RHP Heath Fillmyer (0-1) will make his second career start in the series opener against the Tigers.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Although the White Sox head into the All-Star break with nearly twice as many losses as wins, the players remain optimistic.

Sunday certainly provided a reason for hope.

Daniel Palka and Yoan Moncada homered, and Lucas Giolito tossed two-hit ball into the seventh inning, lifting Chicago to a 10-1 victory over the struggling Kansas City Royals.

Moncada was 3 for 3 with a walk and three runs scored a day after leaving a game with a bruised right knee. Palka also had three hits and two RBI while Tim Anderson and Kevan Smith each hit a two-run double as Chicago pounded out 13 hits.

The rebuilding White Sox had dropped seven of nine before Sunday and are 33-62 overall.

“It wasn’t a very good first half in wins and losses, but I think that’s part of the process,” Moncada said. “We’re all trying to do our best. We improved during the first half, and I think in the second half we’ll be much better.”

Adalberto Mondesi homered leading off the eighth for the Royals, who are 2-11 in July.

“Losing (stinks), and we’ve lost a lot,” second baseman Whit Merrifield said. “It hasn’t been fun as far as all that goes. We got four days off. Hopefully, we can regroup and everyone can kind of step back and reset.”

Kansas City decided to go with a bullpen day instead of a regular starting pitcher. The relievers were no match for Giolito (6-8). The right-hander allowed just two hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking three.

“Today was one of those days where we put it all together,” Giolito said. “I’m looking forward to more of those.”

After Giolito worked out of his only jam in the top of the first with an assist from the defense — Jorge Bonifacio was thrown out trying to score from second on a single to left with one out — Palka’s two-run blast off starter Burch Smith (0-1) gave the White Sox a 2-0 lead.

“I’m not really feeling my best in the first and then an unreal play,” Giolito said of the play at the plate. “It gets me fired up. It’s like, `Alright, no one’s crossing the plate this inning.”

The lead grew to 4-0 in the third as Jose Abreu scored on a wild pitch and Leury Garcia followed with an RBI single against left-hander Brian Flynn. Chicago then broke the game open with a five-run fifth against left-hander Enny Romero. Moncada, who was hit in the knee by a pick-off throw on Saturday, started things with a lead-off homer. It was his 12th of the season and first right-handed. Anderson and Smith each had a two-run double to make it 9-0.

Moncada doubled and scored in the sixth to make 10-0 before Mondesi’s homer off Jeanmar Gomez broke the shutout.

“It was one of those days,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “We didn’t pitch good.”

TAKING A DIVE

When Moncada was hit in the knee on Saturday, he appeared to be in great pain and significantly injured. After discovering he was fine on Sunday, his teammates taped the name “NEYMAR” above his locker.

“He’s known to be a player who likes to act when people touch him or he gets kicked,” Moncada said of the Brazilian soccer star through a translator. “They were messing with me.”

START ME UP

Salvador Perez, the Royals’ lone All-Star, will replace injured Wilson Ramos as the AL’s starting catcher in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: RHP Nate Jones (strained forearm muscle) will travel to Triple-A Charlotte during the All-Star break and throw live batting practice on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (4-8, 4.59 ERA) will pitch the opener of a three-game series with Minnesota on Friday night.

White Sox: RHP James Shields (4-10, 4.43 ERA) takes the mound Friday night for the start of a three-game series at Seattle.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Leury Garcia had three hits and three RBI, All-Star Jose Abreu homered for the first time in July, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 9-6 on Friday night.

Garcia doubled in two runs in the first, singled in the third and connected for a solo drive in the sixth. Omar Narvaez added a two-run homer in the eighth off Kevin McCarthy and Joakim Soria pitched the ninth for his 14th save in 17 chances.

James Shields (4-10) pitched five-hit ball into the seventh inning as the White Sox earned their second straight win after a six-game slide. They finished with 14 hits against the AL Central-worst Royals.

Whit Merrifield had two hits and scored two runs for Kansas City, which has dropped 12 of 13. Brad Keller (2-4) was tagged for five runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.

— Associated Press —

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — If this is Brian Dozier’s last month with the Minnesota Twins, it’s off to a strong start.

Whether he is helping boost the Twins back into the division race or merely increasing his trade value, Dozier has found his form at the plate.

Dozier hit a two-run homer, going deep for the second straight game to help the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Wednesday.

“About stats, talk to me in October. If they’re not there, then we’ll talk,” Dozier said. “I keep telling these guys, `Eight games: That’s not that much.”

Lance Lynn (7-7) recovered from a three-run homer by Salvador Perez in the first inning to win his second straight start for the Twins, who used the bottom third of their lineup to launch rallies in the second and the fourth against Burch Smith (0-1).

Max Kepler, Jake Cave and Bobby Wilson went 6 for 11 with five runs scored. Wilson, whose batting average fell to .114 last week, had two RBI and was one of three Twins with three hits, joining Dozier and Joe Mauer. Wilson, the backup catcher, is now hitting .169.

Dozier drove in a run with an infield single in the fourth. Then he sent his 15th homer of the season into the second deck above left field in the sixth inning against Enny Romero. Logan Morrison hit a solo shot one out later to pad the lead for Minnesota, which improved 6-1 on an 11-game homestand.

With the Twins trailing AL Central-leading Cleveland by 8 1/2 games when the day began, Dozier is among several prominent players on expiring contracts whose names are part of the annual July trade market speculation. Lynn is one of those, too.

“We don’t pay attention to it, so whatever happens happens,” said Lynn, who pitched to two batters in the sixth. “In this game I’ve learned that you go where you told, because they pay you. That’s just the way it works, unless you’ve got a no-trade clause.”

Only first baseman Joe Mauer has that.

“So everyone else can just wear it and do what they’re told,” Lynn said.

Mike Moustakas homered twice for the Royals, who took the Twins deep five times over the last two games of this series despite toting the fewest home runs in MLB. Kansas City has lost 23 of its past 27 games.

“Come in here and play hard,” Perez said. “One of the things everybody should think: That’s how we bring food to the table for our family. That’s our job.”

BULL DOZIER

Dozier’s production at the plate is lower than it has been in at least five years, but he has begun to warm up with a .375 batting average, three homers and eight RBI over his past six games. Only four of his home runs have come at home this season. He hit 127 homers over the previous four years, with 63 of those at Target Field.

“You just ride the wave. Sometimes they find the green grass, sometimes they find the seats, sometimes you’re walking back with your head down,” he said.

BURCH IS BACK

After 24 relief appearances this year, Smith made his first major league start since 2013, when he was with San Diego. Forearm and elbow injuries kept him from pitching in 2015 and 2016, and he spent last season with the Tampa Bay organization.

“It was definitely special. Today had been a long time,” said Smith, who gave up seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. “It meant a lot just getting the opportunity to do it again. I was feeling a lot of emotions going into that game.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Jason Adam was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take the spot of a discouraged RHP Ian Kennedy, who returned to the disabled list with a strained left oblique after an injury-shortened three-inning start on Tuesday night. Adam had been sent down the day before so Kennedy, who has gone 16 turns without a victory, could be reinstated.

Twins: RHP Addison Reed was placed on the DL with tightness in his right triceps, and RHP Alan Busenitz was recalled from Triple-A Rochester for the third time this season. … INF Ehire Adrianza is on track to come off the DL on Thursday, after missing 10 games with a strained left hamstring.

UP NEXT

Royals: Following a day off, rookie RHP Brad Keller (2-3, 2.52 ERA) pitches in the opener of a three-game series at Chicago on Friday night for his eighth start of the season. Former Kansas City RHP James Shields (3-10, 4.53 ERA) takes the mound for the White Sox.

Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (3-6, 3.59 ERA) starts a four-game series against Tampa Bay on Thursday night. LHP Blake Snell (12-4, 2.09 ERA) takes the mound for the Rays with the second-lowest ERA in league. Snell has won four straight starts with just two runs allowed in his past 28 2/3 innings.

— Associated Press —

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Adalberto Mondesi had a three-run homer and a career-high four RBI, and the Kansas City Royals snapped a 10-game skid with a 9-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

The Royals scored more than five runs for the first time since June 4 and improved to 26-65 overall, percentage points ahead of Baltimore to avoid owning baseball’s worst record.

Mondesi went deep in the second inning and added an RBI single in the sixth. The middle infielder entered with just six RBI in 17 games this year.

Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy made his first start since landing on the disabled list with a strained left oblique. He pitched just three innings after experiencing a recurrence of left side tightness.

Kennedy was looking for his first win since April 7 but failed to qualify. The right-hander gave up two runs and five hits while striking out three. He has gone 16 starts since his last victory.

Brian Flynn (1-1) allowed one hit in four innings of relief to pick up the win.

Twins starter Aaron Slegers (1-1) allowed five runs and got just four outs in his second start of the year.

Brian Dozier drove in the game’s first run for Minnesota with a solo homer in the first. Eduardo Escobar plated the Twins’ second run with a single in the third.

BACHELORETTE HELPS OUT TWINS

Becca Kufrin, star of ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” threw out the first pitch before Tuesday’s game. Kufrin, a Minnesota native, was at Target Field to help the Twins promote Eddie Rosario’s campaign for the MLB All-Star Game’s Final Vote.

Rosario is one of five AL finalists for the Final Vote spot, and the Twins have taken a page from the popular TV show by using the slogan “Accept This Rosie.” He caught the first pitch from Kufrin and offered her a rose.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: RHP Ervin Santana (60-day DL, finger surgery) started Tuesday for Double-A Chattanooga as part of his rehab assignment. He allowed two runs on two hits and struck out six in five innings. Santana is expected to be moved up to Triple-A Rochester for his next rehab start Sunday.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Burch Smith (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will be making his first start of the season after appearing in 24 games as a reliever. It will be the first major league start for Smith since 2013 with San Diego.

Twins: RHP Lance Lynn (6-7, 5.21) is coming off a start in which he allowed just one run in six innings against Baltimore. Lynn earned the victory in his first meeting against the Royals this year, holding Kansas City to two runs in eight innings back on May 28.

— Associated Press —

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eduardo Escobar had three hits and drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh to support Jose Berrios’ strong outing as the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Monday night.

Escobar plated Joe Mauer with a seventh-inning single as Minnesota took advantage of Kansas City’s struggling bullpen to win its fifth straight game.

Berrios (9-7), elected to his first All-Star game a day earlier, allowed one run on six hits in seven innings. He struck out eight while throwing a season-high 111 pitches.

Fernando Rodney allowed a walk and hit in the ninth but secured his 20th save.

Tim Hill (1-3) surrendered both runs and got just one out in relief after starter Danny Duffy’s six scoreless innings. The Royals started the game with a league-worst 5.29 relief ERA.

Duffy and Berrios nearly matched each other in a through seven innings as both teams couldn’t convert scoring chances.

The Royals were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and stranded five runners against Berrios. Minnesota was 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base against Duffy, who has a 3.07 ERA over his past nine starts after a slow start to his season.

The Twins had a runner reach third in three of Duffy’s six innings and failed to drive him in.

Berrios was named Minnesota’s representative for the All-Star game and demonstrated his credentials on Tuesday mixing in his low-90s fastball with a sweeping curve.

Alex Gordon and Alcides Escobar hit back-to-back doubles to lead off the third for the only run against Berrios.

YOST EJECTED

Kansas City manager Ned Yost was ejected in the fourth after Lucas Duda was called out on strikes by home plate umpire Will Little. Duda checked his swing, but apparently struck out on a called strike that appeared high and out of the zone.

It was Yost’s 43rd career ejection and the first of this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: RHP Ervin Santana (60-day disabled list, finger surgery) is scheduled to start Tuesday for Double-A Chattanooga as he tries to work his way back to the Minnesota rotation. Manager Paul Molitor said Santana is likely to move his rehab to Triple-A Rochester for one start before the All-Star break and the team will decide on his future depending on the two starts.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (1-8, 5.11 ERA) will be activated from the disabled list to start Tuesday evening’s game in Minnesota. Kennedy has been out since June 29 with a left oblique strain. He has gone 15 starts without a win, the longest active winless streak in the majors.

Twins: RHP Aaron Slegers (1-0, 2.38) will make his second start and third appearance of the season on Tuesday. He earned his first major league win on July 5 with one run allowed in six innings against Baltimore.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — If the Boston Red Sox keep getting this kind of pitching and hitting, their first 100-win season in more than seven decades seems a lock.

Rick Porcello matched his victory total from last year, pitching seven effective innings, Andrew Benintendi had four hits and scored twice, and the Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-4 on Sunday.

The Red Sox hit .385, 45 for 111, and had 68 base runners in sweeping the three-game series. Boston has won six straight and 13 of 16 and own the best record in the majors at 62-29.

“One through nine, they’re all great hitters,” loser Heath Fillmyer (0-1) said after his first big-league start. “That’s probably why they’re in the position they are this year.”

The Red Sox haven’t won 100 games since 1946.

Porcello (11-3), who was 11-17 in 2017, allowed three runs on nine hits before leaving after 111 pitches. He struck out nine, matching his season high, and walked one. Craig Kimbrel got the final two outs for his 27th save in 29 chances.

Benintendi extended his on-base streak to 10 straight — six hits and four walks — before striking out in the eighth.

“I thought I was patient up there,” Benintendi said. “I was trying to get pitches I could handle and was able to do that.”

Drew Butera singled and Whit Merrifield doubled to lead off the Kansas City seventh, but Porcello stranded them by striking out Jorge Bonifacio and Mike Moustakas and retiring Lucas Duda on a fly ball.

“I went out there with the thought of taking him out,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after Merrifield’s hit. “I think with the lead and the conviction he told me, `I got it,’ we went hitter by hitter and he got them.”

Porcello persuaded Cora to let him get out of the jam.

“I just tried to make my best case for staying in,” Porcello said. “I felt like I was throwing the ball well. They got runners at second and third with nobody out and I felt like I could get out of it and limit the damage. I felt like it was my mess to clean up. Guys in the bullpen have been getting a lot of work lately and that was my job. Our offense did a great job of putting runs up and that should’ve been a shutdown inning. I wanted it and he gave it to me.”

Eduardo Nunez drove in two Boston runs with singles in the fourth and seventh. Mitch Moreland walked with the base loaded in the fifth and singled in a run in the seventh. Xavier Bogaerts also contributed an RBI-double in a three-run seventh.

Merrifield singled in a run in the ninth for his first five-hit game. Bonifacio drove in two KC runs with a third-inning double.

“Anytime you can get five hits, that’s a good day,” Merrifield said. “But a tough day for us as a team.”

Fillmyer allowed four runs, one unearned, on eight hits and three walks. He was filling in for Jakob Junis, who went on the disabled list with back tightness.

“I just try to minimize the mistakes. I think I learned a lot from it,” Fillmyer said. “Hopefully, the next start I can put together a few things and give them a little bit more.”

The Royals, who turned five double plays, lost their ninth straight to match their longest of skid this season and are 4-27 in their last 31 games. They are 38 games below .500 for the first time since ending the 2006 season 62-100.

ROYALS SIGN TEENAGE PITCHER

The Royals signed RHP Kaito Yuki, 16, from Osaka, Japan. He opted to sign a professional contract in lieu of going to high school.

ESCOBAR STREAK ENDS

Royals SS Alcides Escobar was not in the lineup after starting the previous 421 games, which was the longest active streak in the majors.

ROSTER MOVES

Red Sox: RHPs Ryan Brasier and William Cuevas were promoted from Triple-A Pawtucket. Brasier last pitched in the majors in 2013 with the Angels and spent last year in Japan. Cuevas was 5-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 15 starts with Pawtucket.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: DH J.D. Martinez was held out of the lineup after fouling pitches off his right foot and left calf on Saturday. “He’s a little banged up,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It made sense to stay away from him. We’ll give him one day and he’ll be back in the starting lineup tomorrow.”

C Christian Vazquez (broken right pinkie) went on the disabled list and will see a hand specialist Monday in Boston. LHP Brian Johnson (left hip inflammation) was placed on the 10-day DL.

Royals: Junis’s DL is retroactive to July 3.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (10-3, 3.84) will start the series opener Monday against the Rangers at Fenway Park.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (4-8, 5.19 ERA) will start Monday in Minnesota as the club opens a six-game trip.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andrew Benintendi homered, doubled, walked a career-high four times and scored four runs, and the Boston Red Sox routed the Kansas City Royals 15-4 on Saturday night.

Mookie Betts had four hits, raising his American League-leading average to .343. Ten Red Sox players had RBI as they scored a season high in runs. They scored 11 runs after the sixth inning.

Benintendi became the first Boston player to walk four times and homer in a game since David Ortiz in 2007. He also drove in two runs.

Xander Bogaerts had three RBI for the Red Sox, who have won five straight and 12 of their past 15.

Christian Vazquez had a two-run, two-out single in the seventh.

Royals pitchers walked 13, one shy of the franchise record, including three in the three-run seventh. Mitch Moreland’s sacrifice fly scored Benintendi, who led off the inning with his fourth walk, for the first run of the inning.

The Red Sox rallied from a three-run deficit to take the lead with a four-run fifth, which Bogaerts highlighted with a three-run double.

Royals rookie starter Brad Keller walked five, including Benintendi and Moreland in the fifth to load the bases before Bogaerts’ double. J.D. Martinez singled in the initial run of the inning, hiking his major league-leading RBI total to 74.

David Price, however, could not hold the lead. Price, who had never hit three batters in a game, hit three Royals in a four-batter span, including Lucas Duda with the bases loaded to bring home Whit Merrifield in the fifth to tie the score at 4.

Price was lifted after 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits with nine strikeouts.

Heath Hembree (4-1) worked 1 1/3 hitless innings to pick up the victory. Jason Adam (0-2), the third of seven KC pitchers, took the loss. Catcher Drew Butera got the final out in his sixth career relief appearance and his first since 2016.

The Royals led 3-0 after Duda homered in the second and they scored twice more in the third.

The Royals have lost eight straight and 27 of 32 to fall 38 games below .500 for the first time since ending the 2006 season 62-100. They have lost 14 of their past 15 games at Kauffman Stadium.

LONGEST GAME

The game lasted 4 hours, 3 minutes, the longest nine-inning game for both clubs this season.

MOUSTAKAS AT FIRST

Mike Moustakas, who normally plays third, made his third start of the season at first. It was probably no coincidence a Yankees scout was in attendance and they are in the market for a first baseman.

ROSTER MOVE

The Royals placed RHP Justin Grimm on unconditional release waivers. Grimm had been on the disabled list with a right shoulder impingement. He was 1/3 with a 13.50 ERA in 16 relief appearances.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: RHP Joe Kelly was led off the field by the trainer in the eighth with an undisclosed injury after retiring the first two batters. . LHP Drew Pomeranz (bicep tendinitis) made a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Pawtucket. He allowed one run on five hits and two walks over three innings, while striking out one. He threw 37 strikes in 60 pitches and induced six groundball outs against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello, who is 10-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 18 starts, is the probable for the series finale.

Royals: RHP Jakob Junis has lost his previous seven starts to tumble to 5-10 with a 5.13 ERA in 17 starts.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chris Sale struck out 12 in six innings, Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts homered, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 10-5 on Friday night.

Sale’s 16-inning scoreless streak was snapped by Alcides Escobar’s two-out RBI single in the second, but that was it for the skidding Royals against the ace left-hander. Sale (9-4) has allowed one run and 10 hits over 20 innings in his past three starts.

Boston stretched its win streak to four with its ninth victory in 11 games overall. It leads the majors with 60 victories and a .674 winning percentage.

The Red Sox jumped on Jason Hammel (2-11) for eight runs in the first two innings.

Betts drove Hammel’s third pitch over the center-field fence for his 100th career homer. It was his fourth leadoff drive this season.

Brock Holt added a two-run single as Boston batted around in a four-run first.

Martinez and Bogaerts each hit a two-run shot in the second. It was Martinez’s major league-leading 27th homer, and Bogaerts improved to 6 for 11 with two homers and seven RBI versus Hammel.

Hammel was pulled after the second. The veteran right-hander has surrendered 23 runs, 21 earned, and 28 hits in 12 innings in his past three starts. He leads the AL in losses, and his ERA is up to 6.16.

Mike Moustakas hit a two-run homer in the eighth for Kansas City, which has dropped seven straight and 19 of 22. Burch Smith pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Hammel.

The Royals are 37 games below .500 for the first time since finishing the 2006 season with a 62-100 record. Since June 1, they have been outscored 165-72 while losing 26 of 31.

RARE TRIPLE

Royals slugger Lucas Duda tripled in the seventh inning. It was his first three-base hit since July 17, 2011.

MAKING MOVED

The Royals claimed left-hander Enny Romero off waivers from the Pirates. Rookie right-hander Trevor Oaks was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. The Royals also transferred right-hander Blaine Boyer (lower back strain) from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day.

FUTURE STARS

Royals prospect Seuly Matias was named to the All-Star Futures Game on July 15 in Washington. The 19-year-old outfielder has 24 home runs with Class A Lexington. The Red Sox representative is right-hander Bryan Mata, who at 19 is the youngest pitcher in the Class A Carolina League, where he is 5-2 with a 3.14 ERA.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: INF Dustin Pedroia (left knee inflammation) returned to Boston to be evaluated by the medical staff. “For them to see firsthand how he was reacting to certain drills, certain movements, he felt that it was productive,” manager Alex Cora said. … LHP Drew Pomeranz (biceps tendinitis) will make a rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Pawtucket. … RHP Stephen Wright (left knee inflammation) has been slowed in his rehab and likely won’t be activated before the All-Star break. … 1B Mitch Moreland (back spasms) was not in the lineup again. He has not played since one at-bat Tuesday, but Cora said he likely would start Saturday.

Royals: INF Cheslor Cuthbert (lower back strain) is 4 for 15 with one home run in his first five games on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: LHP David Price starts Saturday for the first time since being removed after allowing eight runs in 3 1/3 innings Sunday against the Yankees.

Royals: RHP Brad Keller gets the ball for Kansas City. He pitched a six-hitter at Seattle in his previous start, but lost 1-0.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Trevor Bauer pitched effectively into the eighth inning and the Cleveland Indians beat the skidding Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Wednesday night for a three-game sweep.

Michael Brantley had an early RBI double and the Indians scored all their runs in the first three innings on only one hit. Bauer struck out eight and walked one over 7 2/3 innings.

The plummeting Royals have lost six straight and 18 of 21. They have scored four or fewer runs in 25 of their past 26 games and are barely ahead of Baltimore for the worst record in the majors.

After winning on grand slams by Francisco Lindor and Yan Gomes the previous two nights, the Indians managed only four hits — two in the ninth inning.

Bauer (8-6) has struck out eight or more in eight consecutive starts. He allowed seven hits, six of them singles, and is 3-1 in his past four starts.

Cody Allen worked the ninth to earn up his 18th save in 19 chances.

Lindor walked to start the game, stole second and scored on Brantley’s double. Brantley went to third on Jose Ramirez’s flyout and scored on Edwin Encarnacion’s sacrifice fly.

The Indians manufactured a run without a hit in the second. Jason Kipnis and Tyler Naquin opened the inning with walks. Roberto Perez advanced both with a sacrifice bunt, and Greg Allen delivered a sacrifice fly.

Kansas City used a double steal to create a run in the second. Alex Gordon, who was hit by a pitch, and Hunter Dozier, who reached on an infield single, were at the corners with two outs. They pulled off a successful double steal with Gordon scoring. It was Dozier’s first career steal.

The last Royals player to steal home was Alex Rios on July 20, 2015, against Pittsburgh, also as part of a double steal.

Alcides Escobar singled in the Kansas City fifth and advanced to third on Drew Butera’s one-out single. Escobar scored on Whit Merrifield’s sacrifice fly.

Royals starter Trevor Oaks (0-2), recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take Ian Kennedy’s spot in the rotation, was removed after four innings and 73 pitches. He allowed three runs on two hits and four walks.

Oaks had a 0.62 ERA in his last seven Triple-A starts. Kennedy went on the disabled list with a strained left oblique.

FIRST START AT THIRD

Dozier made his first big league start at third base. Dozier played 401 games at third, starting 281, in the Royals’ minor league system. He had started 35 games at first base, two in right field and two as the DH this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: OF Brandon Guyer (bruised left knee) did not play after fouling a pitch off his leg in the ninth inning Tuesday. X-rays were negative. “He’s got a bruise from the bone to the kneecap above his shin,” manager Terry Francona said. . LHP Andrew Miller (right knee inflammation) is scheduled to throw a bullpen Thursday. . LHP Tyler Olson (shoulder strain) threw 17 pitches for Triple-A Columbus on a rehab assignment. He retired two batters, walked one, struck out one and did not allow a hit.

Royals: 3B Mike Moustakas (back spasms) was held out of the lineup for the second straight game. “It’s not serious at all,” manager Ned Yost said. “He came in today and still felt it a little bit. With an off day tomorrow, there’s no sense in pushing it.” . OF Bubba Starling (oblique strain) was sent to the rookie-level Arizona League to begin a rehab assignment. Starling, a 2011 first-round draft pick, has not played since May 10 with Triple-A Omaha.

UP NEXT

Indians: Open a homestand Friday against the Athletics with RHP Carlos Carrasco (8-5, 4.24 ERA) starting. Oakland will counter with RHP Paul Blackburn (2-2, 6.46).

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (2-10, 5.56) starts Friday night against the Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium. LHP Chris Sale (8-4, 2.41) gets the ball for Oakland.

— Associated Press —