The Red Sox will have Steven Wright back on the mound for just the second time in August as they try to bounce back from a bad end to a good road trip.
It wasn't all that long ago that the Royals were totally dead in the water--under .500 and non-factors in the central race. And they still are, kind of, just not so much as they were back then. Eight straight wins, nine-of-ten, and twelve-of-fourteen will do that for you. Yes, the Red Sox get to face the Royals at their hottest point while the Sox are coming off a pretty brutal road trip having played each of the last 17 days.
It's not exactly the ideal recipe for success.
Certainly, though, Wright is capable of taking less-than-ideal circumstances and turning them into a win all-the-same. That it's Ian Kennedy on the mound in opposition actually sounds better then it appears at first glance--Kennedy has an ERA of 3.58 on the season--this is very much a pitcher who could struggle in Fenway Park given its cramped dimensions and his tendency towards fly balls.
Oh, and for those wondering, it's mid-80's with 50% humidity for the first pitch, so...not great for the Wright narrative.