The Boston Red Sox kick off a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals on Monday night at Fenway Park.
The two clubs enter the series going in opposite directions. The Red Sox became the first team to reach 20 wins this season with their series finale victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, while the Royals enter Monday’s contest with the league’s second-worst record at 7-20.
Eduardo Rodriguez will take the mound for Boston in search of his fourth win of the campaign. The left-hander has yet to allow more than three runs in an outing this season and has pitched six-plus innings in three of his first four starts.
As for the lineup, Mookie Betts will miss his second consecutive game as he nurses a hamstring injury that caused him to leave Saturday’s game early. Andrew Benintendi will bat leadoff and play center field, while Hanley Ramirez hits in the two hole as the designated hitter. Christian Vazquez will do the catching for Rodriguez and bat ninth.
Here are the full lineups for Monday’s Red Sox-Royals game:
RED SOX (20-7)
Andrew Benintendi, CF
Hanley Ramirez, DH
J.D. Martinez, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Rafael Devers, 3B
Eduardo Nunez, 2B
Jackie Bradley Jr., RF
Christian Vazquez, C
Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP (3-0, 3.63 ERA)
ROYALS (7-20)
Whit Merrifield, 2B
Jorge Soler, RF
Mike Moustakas, 3B
Salvador Perez, C
Cheslor Cuthbert, DH
Lucas Duda, 1B
Jon Jay, CF
Alex Gordon, LF
Alcides Escobar, SS
Jason Hammel, RHP (0-2, 3.38 ERA)
