Kansas City @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2015 ) Kansas City 6, Boston 3

With a 12 1/2-game lead in the American League Central and a six-game bulge for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, the Kansas City Royals are in an enviable position. Kansas City, though, has struggled with last-place Boston this season and tries to salvage a split of the four-game series when they visit the Red Sox on Sunday.

The Royals roared into Fenway Park with five straight victories before getting outscored 11-3 in losses Thursday and Friday, but righted the ship with a 6-3 win Saturday to snap Boston's season-high four-game winning streak. It won't be long before Kansas City has its postseason lineup intact as left fielder Alex Gordon (groin) is set to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha on Sunday, which will move versatile Ben Zobrist to second base. The Red Sox (56-67) have won six of their last nine games, but are 12 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees as the only team in the AL East below .500. The Royals' Edinson Volquez has recorded six quality starts in his last seven turns and opposes rookie Eduardo Rodriguez, who snapped a three-game unbeaten streak (0-2) in his last outing.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Edinson Volquez (11-7, 3.20 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5, 4.48)

Volquez received a no-decision after allowing one run and four hits while striking out seven in six innings of Kansas City's 3-1 victory in Cincinnati on Tuesday.
It was a strong recovery for the 32-year-old Dominican, who permitted six runs (five earned) and eight hits in seven innings of a 7-4 loss to Detroit on Aug. 12.
Volquez improved to 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in three starts versus Boston after yielding four runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 7-4 win June 20.

Rodriquez allowed one run and six hits in a career-high eight innings of a 9-1 victory over Cleveland on Tuesday. The 22-year-old Venezuelan has yielded three or fewer runs in 11 of his 15 career starts, with one of the exceptions coming in a 14-6 loss in Miami on Aug. 12 when he was lit up for eight runs and nine hits in five innings. Rodriguez prevailed in his only appearance against the Royals, 7-3 on June 19 when he allowed one run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals CF Lorenzo Cain (.307, 12 home runs, 54 RBIs) went 2-for-5 with a run scored Saturday to snap a 3-for-26 slide over his previous six contests.

2. Red Sox UT Brock Holt was scratched from Saturday's lineup after suffering a strained left oblique in batting practice.

3. Kansas City C Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer Saturday - the Royals' 96th of the season after they hit 95 in 2015.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 3, Royals 2