BOSTON — David Price struck out 12 in 6 2/3 innings, helping the hot-hitting Boston Red Sox to their fifth straight win — an 11-1 rout of the Houston Astros on Thursday.
Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer off struggling Houston ace Dallas Keuchel (2-5) in the first inning and added an RBI single and Mookie Betts belted a three-run shot in the sixth as Keuchel was tagged for eight runs.
Jackie Bradley Jr. delivered an RBI single in the second inning to extend his career-high hitting streak to 18 games and Hanley Ramirez had three of Boston’s 14 hits and also walked. David Ortiz had a sacrifice fly and a double.
The Red Sox have 56 runs on 69 hits during their winning streak, including 51 and 62 hits in four home games this week. They have reached double figures in runs in each of the four games, the first time since 2007 that has happened for Boston.
Keuchel, 27-14 at home but 16-26 on the road in his career, lost his fourth straight decision and hasn’t won since April 15. He has yielded at least five earned runs in four of his last five starts, three of them on the road, where he is 1-4 with a 7.04 ERA.
Yankees 7, Royals 3
NEW YORK — Chase Headley homered for the first time in eight months as New York defeated Kansas City.
Headley had not homered since his first at-bat against Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada on Sept. 12 when he stepped in with two outs and Carlos Beltran on first in the second inning. He ended a drought of 170 at-bats when he sent a 3-1 fastball into the left field seats for a two-run homer.
Headley’s home run was the second of three hit by the Yankees (14-19) in their fifth win in seven games. Starlin Castro hit a solo home run and Didi Gregorius added a three-run homer off Ian Kennedy (4-3).
Alex Gordon homered and had an RBI single for the Royals (16-18), who have 12 of their last 16.