Royals 6, Red Sox 3
BOSTON -- Salvador Perez hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning and Yordano Ventura tossed six quality innings to cool off the Boston Red Sox's hot bats as the Kansas City Royals ended a two-game skid with a 6-3 win Saturday night at Fenway Park.
Perez, who has the most of hits of any American League catcher, slugged his 18th home run of the year for Kansas City (74-48) on a 1-1 fastball that cleared the bullpens in right field.
The right-handed Ventura (8-7) allowed one run on six hits and a walk and struck out six to snap Boston's season-high four-game winning streak.
The Red Sox (56-67) had won six of eight and scored 73 runs in that span.
Designated hitter Kendrys Morales, who entered the night ranked third in the American League in RBIs, drove in his 84th and 85th runs of the season on a first-inning double off the Green Monster, giving the Royals an early 2-0 lead.
An eight-inning RBI-single from Kansas City right fielder Alex Rios made it a 6-2 game.
Right-handed closer Greg Holland entered with two on and two out in the ninth and gave up an RBI-single to Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, before walking designated hitter David Ortiz to load the bases for first baseman Travis Shaw.
Holland forced Shaw to pop out to end the game, earning his 28th save.
Matt Barnes (3-4) struggled in his second major league start for Boston, as the right-hander surrendered five runs on eight hits and a walk and struck out two in 5 1/3 innings.
Shaw drove in the Red Sox's first run with an RBI-groundout in the sixth and center fielder Mookie Betts launched a solo home run, his 11th of 2015, an inning later.
Jackie Bradley Jr. struck out three times but the Boston right fielder made a nice play in the outfield, chasing down a seventh-inning fly ball near the wall.
Ortiz was the only Red Sox to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-2 with two walks, and catcher Blake Swihart was 1-for-4 after Friday's four-hit outing.
Boston left field Hanley Ramirez snapped an 0-for-16 spell with a two-out, eighth-inning double that put two runners in scoring position, but Swihart popped out to end the threat.
Kansas City will attempt to earn a split in its four-game series with Boston in Sunday's finale.
NOTES: Boston's last five-game winning streak came July 13-21, 2014, and included a three-game sweep of Kansas City. ... Royals CF Lorenzo Cain and RF Alex Rios were scheduled to be off, but manager Ned Yost kept them in the lineup after back-to-back losses. ... Royals RHP Yordano Ventura was 0-2 with a 7.15 ERA in two starts against the Red Sox before Saturday. ... Kansas City's bullpen had not allowed a run in 18 2/3 innings coming in. ... Boston 2B Brock Holt was a late scratch. Josh Rutledge started at second. ... Boston RHP Rick Porcello gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings Friday in a rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket. "He had command of all three pitches," Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo said. Porcello will throw a bullpen session Sunday. ... Red Sox icon Carl Yastrzemski celebrated his 76th birthday on Saturday.