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Beckett hopes to return to winning ways

Aug 5, 2008 - 1:11 PM Boston (64-49) at Kansas City (53-60), 8:10 pm EDT

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- The red-hot Kansas City Royals have won seven of their last eight games heading into Tuesday's contest against the Boston Red Sox.

If Kansas City is going to continue its winning ways, it will have to find a way to figure out Boston ace Josh Beckett (9-8, 4.15 ERA), who is attempting to avoid losing four straight starts for the first time in his career.

Before surrendering eight runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 shoddy innings against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Wednesday, Beckett was outdueled by New York Yankees budding ace Joba Chamberlain despite allowing one run in seven brilliant innings.

He has allowed four or more runs in five of his last 10 starts.

Kansas City has scored 27 runs over the last three games, but five of the seven wins during its streak have come by three runs or less.

The Royals counter with Brian Bannister (7-9, 5.33), who was 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA in five starts during July. He was tagged for seven runs and 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings on May 22 in an 11-8 loss to the Red Sox.

Gil Meche threw six solid innings as the Royals won Monday's series opener, 4-3.

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia extended his road hitting streak to 25 games, which is the most by a Boston player since a 29-game road hitting streak by Tris Speaker in 1913 and the longest in the majors since Luis Castillo's 27-game road streak for the Florida Marlins in 2002.