Overview

• Bailey Falter takes the mound in his first Royals start since joining Kansas City from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline
• Brayan Bello follows a seven-inning, one-run outing last week in an effort to sustain Boston’s momentum
• The Red Sox have risen into second place in the AL East, leading the wild-card standings on a five-game winning streak
• Veteran starters Lucas Giolito and Garrett Crochet have bolstered Boston’s post-deadline rotation with consistent quality starts
• Kansas City enters the series at 56-56 overall with a 28-28 road record, seeking to leverage its revamped rotation into a late playoff push