Kansas City @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 25, 2012 ) Kansas City 10, Boston 9

The new-look Boston Red Sox are 1-1. Since news of a trade between the Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers broke on Friday and Adrian Gonzalez was pulled out of the lineup, Boston has split the first two with the Kansas City Royals. The Red Sox hope to have part of their return in that deal, first baseman James Loney, when they try to take the lead in the four-game set on Sunday.

Boston hit the reset button on the direction of the franchise by shipping over a quarter of a billion dollars in future commitments to Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto across the country. Mauro Gomez, who has gotten two straight starts at first base, helped fill in the gap with his first major-league homer and three RBIs in Saturday’s 10-9, 12-inning loss. The Royals are enduring the circus in Boston as they bust out of an offensive slump. After averaging two runs in its previous four games, Kansas City pounded out 14 hits on Saturday.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Will Smith (4-5, 5.40 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Felix Doubront (10-6, 4.70)

Smith put together back-to-back wins while allowing four runs over 14 total innings on Aug. 9 and 15 but lost that form at Tampa Bay on Monday. The 23-year-old was knocked around for four runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings to suffer the loss. Smith has never faced Boston but has gone 1-2 with a 7.07 ERA in three starts against AL East foes New York, Baltimore and the Rays.

Doubront was placed on the 15-day disabled list with some knee soreness but also to get some rest as he comes to the end of his first full season in the majors. The left-hander had been slowing down before his DL stint, going 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA over his last four starts. Doubront beat Kansas City on May 7 despite allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Red Sox also received INF Ivan DeJesus Jr., RHP Allen Webster and two players to be named, believed to be 1B Jerry Sands and RHP Rubby De La Rosa.

2. Alex Gordon had two more hits on Saturday to improve his career batting average to .349 in 30 games against the Red Sox.

3. Boston suspended RHP Alfredo Aceves for three games for conduct detrimental to the team. Aceves was upset about not being used in a save situation on Friday.