When the Red Sox host the Kansas City Royals in the finale of a three-game series on Wednesday night, one of Boston’s newest acquisitions will take on a former one with a sweep on the line.
Just days after being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deadline deal, Dustin May (6-7, 4.85 ERA) is due to make debut with the Red Sox against fellow right-hander Michael Wacha (5-9, 3.38 ERA) of the Royals. Wacha was an 11-game winner for Boston in 2022.
May, 27, assumes a spot in Boston’s rotation after struggling in his return from multiple surgeries. He had allowed 11 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings across his last two starts in Dodger blue, including a week ago Sunday against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
“I was kind of pushed out. We had quite a few guys there in that (Dodgers) organization,” May said. “Definitely sad leaving because I’ve been there for my whole career, but definitely very, very excited to be joining (the Red Sox) and hope for a playoff push.”
Starting pitchers Tanner Houck (who will require Tommy John surgery), Hunter Dobbins and Kutter Crawford are all out with season-ending injuries, allowing for May to begin fresh in the midst of what he has described as a “rollercoaster” season.
“Everybody says he loves to compete so he’s ready,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He told (pitching coach Andrew Bailey) and he told me, he’ll do whatever we need him to do. That’s awesome, but we believe he can do the job as a starter. He can help us.”
May, who is 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA in his lone career outing versus Kansas City, will take the mound following a 6-2 Tuesday win in which Garrett Crochet struck out eight over the first seven innings.
A combined five RBIs from Wilyer Abreu and Trevor Story helped Crochet to his sixth consecutive win. It was the team’s seventh in a row and 14th in 15 games at Fenway Park.
“It’s a special place,” Story said. “This is home for us and we want to defend it the best we can. … When we play well here, it travels.”
The Royals, meanwhile, have been held to two or fewer runs for the third time in six games.
Wacha is coming off a season-long, eight-inning start in a Friday win over the Toronto Blue Jays — plenty good enough for his 11th quality start of the season. He is 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA in four career starts versus Boston.
Wacha’s last start was his fourth in a row allowing only a single run, as he bounced back after surrendering a first-inning solo homer to Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in his last outing. He has worked 24 1/3 innings over that span.
“We knew Wacha was going to go out there and be Wacha,” Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said after the pitcher’s last start. “And so, we got to put some runs on the board and enjoy it.”
On the offensive side, third baseman Maikel Garcia went 2-for-3 with an RBI double on Tuesday.
Ryan Bergert was not given much other support and lost his Royals debut despite allowing just two hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Losing the first two games in Boston ended the Royals’ streak of four straight series wins. In the finale against a current wild card team, they’ll look to get back to the mentality that helped them through that stretch.
“We’re at .500 right now, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do,” first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said entering the series.