BOSTON -- Through the first two games of auditions for new club president Dave Dombrowski, the Boston Red Sox are 2-0.

And they received strong starting pitching in both.

"You've gotta love what we've done in response to (the hiring)," interim manager Torey Lovullo said after Wade Miley threw 7 1/3 innings of six-hit ball, leading the last-place Red Sox to a 4-1 win over the first-place Kansas City Royals on Thursday night.

"You gotta love our guys stepping up, in Joe Kelly's case (Wednesday) and tonight Wade Miley's case. That's what we're built on -- we're built on challenges in this game. These guys stepped up and executed a really good game plan. They should be really happy with what they've done the last couple of nights."

Kelly went six innings and didn't allow an earned run in his fourth straight win. Then Miley became the team's first 10-game winner with his second straight strong performance, giving up just one run.

The win, in the opener of a four-game series, was the third straight for Boston. Kansas City, which saw its five-game winning streak end, still owns victories in 10 of its past 13 games.

Miley, who got 22 runs of support in his previous start, moved to 2-0 with two no-decisions in August and raised his record to 10-9. He is 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA in two starts against the Royals this year. On Thursday, he allowed only a solo homer to third baseman Mike Moustakas in the fifth inning.

By that time, the Red Sox had a 4-0 lead, with catcher Ryan Hanigan's two-run single highlighting a three-run third inning.

Miley, who struck out six and walked none, left with one out and one on in the eighth inning. Right-hander Alexi Ogando came on and, after a groundout, walked center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Left-hander Robbie Ross Jr. entered and struck out first baseman Eric Hosmer to end the inning.

Red Sox right-hander Junichi Tazawa pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in as many nights, only the third of his career.

Left-hander Danny Duffy (6-6) worked the first five innings for the Royals, who didn't get into their hotel beds in Boston until around 6 a.m. after a late night in Cincinnati.

Red Sox rookie first baseman Travis Shaw continued his torrid big league start with a bases-loaded walk in the first, a double in the third and single in the eighth. He is 12-for-19 (.632) during a five-game hitting streak and is batting .522 and slugging .978 in 11 home games.

"I feel like I'm in a good spot right now. I'm just trying to ride it as long as I can," Shaw said.

The Red Sox, 3-1 against Kansas City this season and 9-2 since the start of 2014, have collected 66 runs on 98 hits while going 5-2 on their current 10-game homestand -- all played since Lovullo took over as the interim manager when John Farrell began chemotherapy for lymphoma.

As far as the Red Sox dominating a team that lost the seventh game of the World Series last year and has baseball's second-best record in 2015, Moustakas said, "That's baseball. That's just what happens.

"That's a good team over there. You can't take anybody lightly in this game, especially a quality team like the Red Sox."

Instead of flying in ahead of his team the night before his start, Duffy remained in Cincinnati, and a rain delay and a long game brought him into Boston at the early hour. Coming off two strong outings in his last three, he was in trouble from the start.

Shaw drew his bases-loaded walk in the first and right fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. tripled Hanigan home to cap the third. Bradley's last nine hits have gone for extra bases.

"Quite honestly, I thought it was one of my worst starts of the year," Duffy said. "Not at all pleased with it."

Said Royals manager Ned Yost: "He made some mistakes up in the zone. He didn't really find his rhythm until about the fourth inning."

NOTES: Royals LF Alex Gordon, on the disabled list since July 9 with a groin strain, will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Sunday. ... Kansas City 2B Omar Infante missed his third consecutive game with back spasms but was available. "No reason to rush it," said manager Ned Yost, whose team led the AL central by 14 1/2 games beginning play Thursday night -- the franchise's largest division lead since a 15-game advantage Sept. 23, 1980. ... Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia, on the disabled list for the second time with a hamstring strain, won't return until at least Sept. 10. ... Boston RHP Steven Wright, on the seven-day concussion DL, will be evaluated Saturday. ... New Kansas City ace RHP Johnny Cueto will make his fourth American League start Friday, against Boston rookie LHP Henry Owens.