Red Sox 4, Royals 1
BOSTON -- Last place handled first place at Fenway Park on Thursday night.
Left-hander Wade Miley earned his team-high 10th victory with 7 1/3 strong innings, and catcher Ryan Hanigan had a two-run single in a three-run third inning as the Boston Red Sox downed the Kansas City Royals 4-1.
The Red Sox sit in last place in the American League East, while the Royals are runaway leaders in the AL Central.
The win, in the opener of a four-game series, was the third straight for Boston. Kansas City, which saw its five-game winning streak end, still owns victories in 10 of its past 13 games.
Miley, pitching well for the second straight outing (he got 22 runs of support in the previous start), moved to 2-0 with two no-decisions in August and raised his record to 10-9. He allowed only a solo homer to third baseman Mike Moustakas in the fifth inning.
By that time, the Red Sox had a 4-0 lead.
Miley, who struck out six and walked none, left with one out and one on in the eighth inning. Right-hander Alexi Ogando came on and, after a groundout, walked center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Left-hander Robbie Ross Jr. entered and struck out first baseman Eric Hosmer to end the inning.
Red Sox right-hander Junichi Tazawa pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in as many nights, only the third of his career.
Left-hander Danny Duffy (6-6) worked the first five innings for the Royals, who didn't get into their hotel beds in Boston until around 6 a.m. after a late night in Cincinnati.
Red Sox rookie first baseman Travis Shaw continued his torrid big league start with a bases-loaded walk in the first, a double in the third and single in the eighth. He is 12-for-19 (.632) during a five-game hitting streak.
The Red Sox have collected 66 runs on 98 hits while going 5-2 on their current 10-game homestand -- all played since bench coach Torey Lovullo took over as the interim manager when John Farrell began chemotherapy for lymphoma.
Instead of flying in ahead of his team the night before his start, Duffy remained in Cincinnati, and a rain delay and long game brought him into Boston at the early hour. Coming off two strong outings in his last three, he was in trouble from the start.
Center fielder Mookie Betts and third baseman Pablo Sandoval opened the game with singles and moved up on an infield roller. Designated hitter David Ortiz walked, and left fielder Hanley Ramirez took a third strike, but Shaw walked with the bases loaded and it was 1-0.
After a solid second, Duffy was beaten to first base by shortstop Xander Bogaerts for an infield hit in the third inning. Then, with two outs, Shaw doubled and Hanigan delivered his two-run single. Hanigan scored from first on a triple by Bradley -- his ninth consecutive hit that went for extra bases.
With one out in the fifth, Moustakas lined one down the right field line for his eighth homer of the season.
NOTES: Royals LF Alex Gordon, on the disabled list since July 9 with a groin strain, will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Sunday. ... Kansas City 2B Omar Infante missed his third consecutive game with back spasms but was available. "No reason to rush it," said manager Ned Yost, whose team led the AL central by 14 1/2 games beginning play Thursday night -- the franchise's largest division lead since a 15-game advantage Sept. 23, 1980. ... Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia, on the disabled list for the second time with a hamstring strain, won't return until at least Sept. 10. ... Boston RHP Steven Wright, on the seven-day concussion DL, will be evaluated Saturday. ... New Kansas City ace RHP Johnny Cueto will make his fourth American League start Friday, against Boston rookie LHP Henry Owens.