Red Sox 5, Royals 4: Pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning and Xander Bogaerts added a blast as Boston took the opener of the three-game series from visiting Kansas City.

Brock Holt singled in a run while Mike Napoli and Stephen Drew recorded two hits apiece for the Red Sox, who have won five of their last six games. Clay Buchholz (5-5) battled through six innings and was charged with four runs on 10 hits before four relievers combined for three scoreless frames, with All-Star Koji Uehara taking care of the ninth for his 19th save.

Eric Hosmer drove in a pair of runs among three hits, Omar Infante also went 3-for-5 while scoring twice and All-Stars Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon each recorded two hits and an RBI as the Royals fell for the fourth time in five contests. James Shields was reached for four runs - three earned - in 5 2/3 innings while Scott Downs (0-3) surrendered Gomes’ blast to absorb the loss in relief.

Hosmer and Holt traded RBI singles in the first two innings before Kansas City jumped on top with four straight hits to open the fourth, including back-to-back RBI singles by Perez and Gordon to make it 3-1. Hosmer’s two-out run-scoring base hit in the fifth increased the Royals' lead.

Shields was coasting until the sixth, when Daniel Nava reached on a one-out single and Bogaerts snapped a 90 at-bat homerless drought with a two-run shot to center. Drew followed with a ground-rule double and Shields recorded a strikeout before deferring to Downs, who left up a 2-2 fastball that Gomes hammered into the seats in center for the go-ahead blast.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Red Sox could activate RF Shane Victorino (back/hamstring) from the disabled list on Saturday. … Buchholz struck out three without walking a batter and has issued one free pass in 35 2/3 innings spanning five starts since coming off the DL. … Gordon (wrist), who sat out the final four games before the break and did not play in the All-Star Game, returned to left field and singled twice.