MLB: Kansas City 4, Boston 3

The Red Sox, who had won eight of their previous nine and were coming off a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay, limited the Royals to four hits.

Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, however, walked eight batters and the Red Sox could not solve the relief efforts of Robinson Tejeda, Blake Wood and Soria.

Kansas City took advantage of four walks and a wild pitch in the fifth inning to score three times. David DeJesus singled in a run in that inning and doubled in another in the sixth.

Brian Bannister (4-3) held Boston to three runs on nine hits over six innings. Tejeda, Wood and Soria then combined to retire all nine men they faced -- Soria collecting his 12th save.

Matsuzaka (3-2) allowed just two hits, but the eight walks equaled his career high. Matsuzaka had taken a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Philadelphia in his previous start.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).