KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Wade Davis came off the family emergency leave list and pitched six solid innings, Billy Butler homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Miami Marlins 6-2 on Monday night.

The Royals won for the 17th time in 20 games, while the Marlins are 1-8 in their past nine.

Davis had not pitched since Aug. 2, returning to Florida to be with his family after the death of his stepbrother on Aug. 3.

Davis (6-9) allowed two runs and six hits while striking out three and walking two.

Marlins starter Tom Koehler (3-8) held the Royals hitless until two out in the fourth, when they pieced together four straight hits.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — James Shields earned his first home win in more than three months, Alex Gordon homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Sunday.

The Royals improved to 18-5 since the All-Star break, winning seven consecutive series.

Shields (7-8), who had not won at Kauffman Stadium since an April 30 victory over Tampa Bay, limited the Red Sox to three runs and seven hits over seven innings. He struck out five and walked three.

Gordon hit a 2-2 pitch from John Lackey (7-10) out to right in the third for his third homer in five games.

Lackey, who is 0-4 in his past five starts, walked David Lough and Eric Hosmer to lead off the first. Gordon’s two-out single scored Lough to tie it at 1.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jacoby Ellsbury matched a career high with four hits and drove in a pair of runs to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 5-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Ellsbury had RBI-doubles in the fourth and sixth innings and also stole his major league-leading 42nd base.

Red Sox starter Felix Doubront gave up three runs on six hits and four walks in four-plus innings

He was replaced by Brandon Workman (3-1), who picked up his second victory of the week with 1 1-3 scoreless innings. Koji Uehara pitched a flawless ninth to collect his 12th save in 15 chances.

Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie (12-8), who had won his previous four starts, threw a season-high 123 pitches in seven innings, allowing five runs on 10 hits and a walk.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Justin Maxwell homered and singled twice to help the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

The Royals have won 15 of their past 17 games to move seven games above .500, matching their best record of the season.

Maxwell, who the Royals acquired on July 31 from the Houston Astros for a minor league pitcher, homered leading off the second.

With the Royals trailing 6-3 in the sixth, he led off the inning with a single. The Royals sent 11 men to the plate in the inning against Red Sox pitchers Jake Peavy, Drake Britton and Pedro Beato.

Peavy, who was making his second Red Sox start since being acquired in a July 30 trade from the Chicago White Sox, yielded singles to Maxwell, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar to start the inning. Escobar’s RBI single finished Peavy.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bruce Chen outdueled Jon Lester as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Thursday night.

The Royals won for the 16th time in 20 games since the All-Star break. The Red Sox, who have the best record in the American League, lost for only the third time in 10 games.

Chen (5-0), who was making his fifth start since beginning the season in the bullpen, did not allow a runner past first base until the eighth and retired 11 in a row in one stretch. He yielded five singles, walked one and struck out two.

Lester (10-7), who came into the game with a 6-2 record and a 1.64 ERA in nine starts against the Royals, needed 41 pitches in the first inning when Kansas City sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs.