Red Sox start 3-game series with the Royals

Kansas City Royals (56-56, third in the AL Central) vs. Boston Red Sox (62-51, second in the AL East)

Boston; Monday, 7:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Bailey Falter (7-5, 3.73 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 70 strikeouts); Red Sox: Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.19 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 83 strikeouts)

BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Red Sox open a three-game series at home against the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

Boston has a 37-21 record at home and a 62-51 record overall. Red Sox hitters have a collective .323 on-base percentage, the third-ranked percentage in the AL.

Kansas City is 28-28 on the road and 56-56 overall. The Royals are 38-12 in games when they out-hit their opponents.

Monday's game is the fourth time these teams meet this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Wilyer Abreu leads the Red Sox with 20 home runs while slugging .481. Roman Anthony is 13 for 34 with four doubles, a triple and five RBIs over the last 10 games.

Maikel Garcia has 28 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs and 48 RBIs while hitting .297 for the Royals. Salvador Perez is 11 for 38 with a double and three home runs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 8-2, .257 batting average, 3.03 ERA, outscored opponents by 25 runs

Royals: 7-3, .229 batting average, 3.82 ERA, outscored opponents by 15 runs

INJURIES: Red Sox: Luis Guerrero: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tanner Houck: 60-Day IL (flexor), Hunter Dobbins: 60-Day IL (acl), Marcelo Mayer: 10-Day IL (wrist), Liam Hendriks: 60-Day IL (hip), Justin Slaten: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Josh Winckowski: 60-Day IL (elbow), Triston Casas: 60-Day IL (knee), Kutter Crawford: 60-Day IL (knee), Patrick Sandoval: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Royals: Steven Cruz: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Kris Bubic: 60-Day IL (rotator cuff), Jac Caglianone: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Michael Lorenzen: 15-Day IL (oblique), Cole Ragans: 60-Day IL (rotator cuff), Mark Canha: 10-Day IL (elbow), Michael Massey: 10-Day IL (ankle), Alec Marsh: 60-Day IL (shoulder), James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow)

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.