FINAL: Red Sox 2, Royals 0 - James Paxton leads first Boston shutout in weeks

WHO: Royals (37-79) at Red Sox (59-55)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m. 
WHERE: Fenway Park, Boston.
SERIES TO DATE: Boston leads, 2-1.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Austin Cox (0-1, 3.58) vs. LHP James Paxton (6-3, 3.60)
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7

LIVE BOX

LINEUP 

RED SOX

Reyes SS 
Devers 3B 
Duvall CF 
Casas 1B
Story DH 
Verdugo RF
Duran LF
Urías 2B
McGuire C
Paxton SP 

ROYALS

Garcia 3B
Witt Jr. SS
Massey 2B
Perez 1B
Melendez RF
Fermin C
Olivares DH 
Taylor LF
Blanco CF
Cox SP 

PRE-GAME NOTES

RHP Tanner Houck will pitch three innings for Triple-A Worcester tonight, with a 50-pitch limit as his rehab continues from his June 16 facial fracture. 

IF Justin Turner told the Boston Globe he's dealing with a heel bone bruise that would normally keep him off his feet for 4-6 weeks, but he'll continue to play through it and does not expect to go on the IL. He's out of the lineup for the third consecutive game, as Alex Cora indicated he would on Tuesday.

OF Masataka Yoshida, involved in one of the strangest plays in Fenway Park history in Wednesday's win, will take a scheduled day off against the left-handed Kansas City opener Austin Cox. RHP Alec Marsh will handle the bulk of the innings. 

SS Trevor Story will start again at DH after striking out six times through his first pair of games (0-8). He'll play shortstop on Friday and Sunday, with Saturday likely off as part of his reintegration following surgery. 

RHP Garrett Whitlock pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in Worcester on Wednesday. He allowed two hits and struck out three, registering in the mid-90s. Whitlock could potentially join the major league club on Sunday. He last pitched on July 4 before suffering an elbow bone bruise. He'll return in relief. 

LHP Chris Sale (shoulder) will make his first start since June 1 on Friday against the Tigers, a significant boost that returns Boston to a five-man rotation without openers. Sale did not allow a run over 2 starts at Syracuse on 8/1 & 8/6 (6.1 IP, 4 H, 10 SO, 2 BB, 93 pitches).

"Less Medallas and more water," Cora joked, referring to the Puerto Rican beer he's consumed more regularly recently following grueling losses. 

WHAT'S UP 

The Red Sox have won 2 of their last 3 games following a 4-game losing streak from 8/2-6, are 8-8 in their last 16 games...At 59-55 (.518), Boston own’s MLB’s 12th-best record...Boston will wear their Nike City Connect Series uniforms tonight...Last night the Sox improved to 23-5 overall in their City Connect uniforms, including 8-1 in 2023...The Sox have won 11 of their last 16 home games, including wins in 2 of their last 3 games...In 17 home games since the start of July, the Sox have hit .286 with an .813 OPS (56 XBH: 32 2B, 3 3B, 21 HR)...At home, the Sox lead the majors in AVG (.286)...They also rank 2nd in OBP (.351), 3rd in OPS (.815), 4th in SLG (.462), and 5th in runs scored per game (5.42)...The Red Sox own MLB’s best record when leading after 6 innings (45-3, .938)...Boston leads MLB in save % (76.2; 32-for-42)...RHP Kenley Jansen recorded his 25th save of the season last night, his 11th such season of his career...He is the 1st BOS pitcher to record 25+ saves in a season since Craig Kimbrel’s 42 saves in 2018...The Red Sox are 13-9 against AL Central teams this season, after going 18-15 in 2022...Monday began a stretch of 7 straight games against AL Central teams (2-1 vs. KC, 3 vs. DET)...Since 6/9, LHP Chris Martin has allowed only 1 run over his last 22 outings, including 16 straight scoreless appearances from 6/9-7/25...His 0.46 ERA over that span is 2nd best in MLB (min. 15.0 IP)...LHP James Paxton Was charged with the loss Friday vs. TOR (5.0 IP, 4 R, 9 H, 2 BB, 4 SO, 3 HR)...in his last 11 starts, beginning on 5/31, he is 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, .223 opponent AVG, and 4.06 SO/BB (61.0 IP, 24 R/22 ER, 51 H, 16 BB, 65 SO)...Has issued 2 or fewer walks in 12 of his 14 starts this season...Has pitched 5.0+ innings in 11 of his 14 starts this season...Has allowed 2 ER or fewer in 9 of his 14 starts (1 or 0 runs in 5 of them)...42 of his 84 strikeouts have come with the 4-seam fastball...

Kansas City lost 4-3 on Wednesday following a second inning Kyle Isbel liner over Masataka Yoshida's head in left field that crashed through a green monster light fixture...called a ground rule double, the odd, unprecedented play according to many cost Matt Duffy a scoring opportunity from first base...Michael Massey lost a popup in the fourth inning, setting up an Alex Verdugo go-ahead, two-run double that bounced off MJ Melendez' glove...Reese McGuire provided an RBI single after Luis Urías reached on catcher's interference that negated an inning-ending line out...RHP Jordan Lyles picked up his 13th loss pitching 8.0 four-run innings... Kansas City hit three home runs in each of their last two games, part of a stretch of 19 over their last 12 games ... they lead the AL in runs per game (5.9), hits (1212), totals bases (210), batting average (.288), slugging (.500) and OPS (.840) in 12 games since July 28...Maikel Garcia enters tonight with a 13-game hit streak...RHP Alec Marsh makes his eighth career appearance tonight as a the bulk pitcher following opener LHP Austin Cox...Marsh allowed three runs on six hits and two walks, with four strikeouts tin a 9-6 loss at Philadelphia on Saturday, a no decision...he became the sixth AL pitcher in this century to record an 11-strikeout game within his first three career outings...he has 32 strikeouts in 28.0 innings to start his career, which are tied for the third-most strikeouts by a Royal through seven career appearances...he has also surrendered 10 home runs over that stretch...and has allowed at least one home run in each of his first six career starts...