The visiting Boston Red Sox completed a three-game sweep over the Kansas City Royals with a 7-5 victory Thursday afternoon, capping a series in which they outscored the Royals 23-8.

Colten Brewer (1-2) was the winning pitcher on a bullpen-heavy day for Boston, which won its fourth straight, after he allowed two hits in two scoreless innings of relief. Matt Barnes pitched the ninth for his fourth save in seven chances.

Danny Duffy (3-3) took the loss for Kansas City. He pitched just 2 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on four hits, all in the third inning. Duffy took a hard line drive off his shin on his plant leg to end the top of the second. The ball ricocheted hard enough that first baseman Ryan O'Hearn picked it up at the bag.

Cheslor Cuthbert got the Royals on the board with his third home run of the season in the second inning. To that point, Cuthbert had all four of the Royals' RBIs in the series.

Nicky Lopez followed Cuthbert with a single to right, and Cam Gallagher followed that with a textbook hit-and-run single to right. Billy Hamilton then ripped a double down the left field line to score Lopez for a 2-0 lead.

Boston came right back. Duffy beaned Jackie Bradley Jr in the head with a pitch, and then served up a home run to Mookie Betts. Betts is now 7-of-11 with five home runs in his career against Duffy, including 6-for-6 with a walk (and all five home runs) in his last seven plate appearances.

Following the home run, Andrew Benintendi stroked a single to right, and J.D. Martinez hit a double. After Duffy allowed a two-run single by Rafael Devers, his day was done.

Martinez was removed in the fifth inning for a pinch hitter due to back spasms.

Jorge Soler's 16th home run of the season cut the deficit to 4-3 in the fifth inning.

But the Red Sox got three insurance runs in the seventh. Christian Vazquez tripled home two runs with two outs, then scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-3.

Alex Gordon's home run in the seventh and Soler's RBI double in the ninth, driving in Gordon, gave the Royals their final runs.

--Field Level Media