Royals 7, Red Sox 1: Jeremy Guthrie scattered three hits over eight innings and Omar Infante recorded three hits and two RBIs as Kansas City knocked off visiting Boston.

Alex Gordon doubled in a run and scored twice while Nori Aoki added two hits, a run scored and an RBI for the Royals, who remained one-half game behind first-place Detroit in the American League Central. Guthrie (11-11) was charged with an unearned run while walking one and striking out two as Kansas City beat the Red Sox for the first time in six tries this season.

Rubby De La Rosa (4-7) was knocked around for five runs on six hits in four innings for Boston. David Ortiz notched two hits and Yoenis Cespedes drove in the lone run with a sacrifice fly for the Red Sox, who fell for the fifth time in seven games.

Alcides Escobar led off the first inning with a double and came in to score on a single by Aoki, who took second on the throw home. A groundout moved him to third before Boston catcher Christian Vazquez's snap throw on a pickoff attempt hit Aoki, allowing him to jog home as the ball trickled into left field for an error.

Cespedes’ sacrifice fly in the third scored Mookie Betts, cutting the deficit to one, but the Royals got to De La Rosa for three runs in the fourth. Salvador Perez doubled in a run and Gordon scored on a groundout before De La Rosa’s balk forced in Perez from third for a 5-1 cushion.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Boston rookie RHP Matt Barnes made his second major-league appearance in the eighth and surrendered two runs on three hits. … Red Sox INF-OF Brock Holt confirmed he has been diagnosed with a concussion but hopes to return before the end of the season. … Gordon went 2-for-4, matching his hit total from the previous 10 games.