Sparkman expected to start for the Royals against Red Sox

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Kansas City Royals (41-74, fourth in the AL Central) vs. Boston Red Sox (60-56, third in the AL East)

Boston; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Royals: Glenn Sparkman (3-7, 5.58 ERA) Red Sox: Eduardo Rodriguez (13-5, 4.19 ERA)

LINE: Red Sox favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 10 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: Boston and Kansas City will meet at Fenway Park on Wednesday.

The Red Sox are 28-30 in home games. Boston has a collective on-base percentage of .340, good for third in the American League. Xander Bogaerts leads the team with a mark of .391.

The Royals are 18-39 on the road. Kansas City has slugged .401 this season. Hunter Dozier leads the team with a .528 slugging percentage, including 43 extra-base hits and 18 home runs. The Royals won the last meeting 6-2. Jakob Junis earned his seventh victory and Jorge Soler went 2-for-2 with two home runs and four RBIs for Kansas City. Andrew Cashner registered his seventh loss for Boston.

TOP PERFORMERS: Rafael Devers leads the Red Sox with 63 extra base hits and is batting .322. Andrew Benintendi is 19-for-42 with seven doubles, four home runs and 14 RBIs over the last 10 games for Boston.

Soler leads the Royals with 31 home runs home runs and is slugging .527. Cheslor Cuthbert is 13-for-38 with three doubles, a home run and five RBIs over the last 10 games for Kansas City.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 2-8, .268 batting average, 6.72 ERA, outscored by 22 runs

Royals: 2-8, .231 batting average, 6.28 ERA, outscored by 30 runs

Red Sox Injuries: Steven Wright: 10-day IL (toe), Heath Hembree: 10-day IL (elbow), Dustin Pedroia: 60-day IL (knee), Steve Pearce: 10-day IL (back).

Royals Injuries: Trevor Oaks: 60-day IL (hip), Jesse Hahn: 60-day IL (elbow), Danny Duffy: 10-day IL (hamstring), Adalberto Mondesi: 10-day IL (shoulder), Salvador Perez: 60-day IL (elbow).