Mookie Betts clubbed his 100th career home run, Chris Sale struck out 12 over six innings of one-run ball for his 100th win and the Boston Red Sox routed the host Kansas City Royals 10-5 on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Betts' solo blast to lead off the game was his 22nd of the season and his 16th career leadoff blast, extending his own franchise record.

The American League MVP candidate joined Ted Williams, Jim Rice and Tony Conigliaro as the only players to hit 100 homers with the Red Sox before the age of 26.

J.D. Martinez added a two-run shot in the second inning for his major-league-leading 27th homer, and Xander Bogaerts also hit a two-run homer in the frame.

Boston starter Sale (9-4) allowed five hits and walked one while lowering his season ERA to 2.36.

The Red Sox have won four straight games following a three-game sweep of the Nationals in Washington. They lost two of three games to the Yankees in New York before that.

Boston extended its lead over New York atop the AL East to two games.

Mike Moustakas hit a two-run homer and Alcides Escobar, Adalberto Mondesi and Whit Merrifield added one RBI apiece for the Royals, who suffered their seventh loss in a row.

Kansas City starter Jason Hammel (2-11) surrendered eight runs on nine hits with one walk over two innings.

Boston made quick work of Hammel with a pair of four-run innings to lead off the game. After Betts' homer in the first, Brock Holt had a two-run single and Sandy Leon added an RBI single.

Escobar put the Royals on the board with his RBI single in the second. Mondesi pushed another across with a groundout in the seventh.

Boston reliever Tyler Thornburg made his season debut after missing the first 88 games recovering from right shoulder surgery. He allowed a leadoff triple in the seventh, giving up the run on Mondesi's groundout.

Jackie Bradley Jr. hit an RBI double for the Red Sox in the top of the eighth.

Moustakas homered in the eighth off Red Sox reliever Brandon Workman. Merrifield's RBI single in the ninth made it a five-run game.

Red Sox left-hander David Price (9-6, 4.28 ERA) opposes Royals righty Brad Keller (2-3, 2.09) on Saturday night.

--Field Level Media