Royals Losing Streak Reaches Six

Mookie Betts is pretty good against Danny Duffy.

Betts hit a two-run homer off Danny Duffy in a four-run third inning and the Boston Red Soxdefeated the Kansas City Royals 7-5 Thursday to complete their first series sweep in nearly a month.

Betts is 7 for 11 with five home runs against Duffy (3-3).

Betts has six hits, five home runs and a walk in his last seven plate appearances against Duffy.

Boston outscored the Royals 23-8 over three games and extended its winning streak to four. The Red Sox swept a series for just the fourth time this year, the first since May 10-12 against the Chicago White Sox. The World Series champions are 27-16 following a 6-13 start and face the second-place Rays in a four-game weekend series at Fenway Park.

Kansas City has lost six straight and nine of 10, dropping to a big league-worst 19-43.

With a doubleheader coming up Saturday against Tampa Bay, Boston gave Ryan Weber his third start. He allowed two runs and five hits in 1 1/3 innings, and Colten Brewer (1-2) followed with two scoreless innings of two-hit relief.

Matt Barnes, Boston’s seventh pitcher, allowed Jorge Soler’s one-out RBI double in the ninth but got his fourth save in seven chances by striking out Ryan O’Hearn and Chelsor Cuthbert.

Duffy allowed four runs and four hits in 2 1/3 innings. Eduardo Nunez’s hard drive went off the inside of Duffy’s right kneecap and ricocheted to O’Hearn, who tagged Nunez for the final out of the second. Duffy retired one of six batters he faced in the third.