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(Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox take aim at a seventh consecutive victory at Fenway Park when the defending world champions entertain the improving Kansas City Royals tonight in the opener of a four-game series.

Boston owns the best home record in the majors so far this season, a stellar 17-5 mark, and enters this evening's clash having won eight of its last nine tests at Fenway Park. The last three victories during that stretch came at the expense of the Milwaukee Brewers, including Sunday's 11-7 triumph in the finale of a weekend interleague set.

David Ortiz went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI to pace a 15-hit attack that propelled Boston into sole possession of first place in the American League East. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis also homered on the afternoon, with Pedroia finishing 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI.

Josh Beckett (5-3) was the beneficiary of the Red Sox' offensive onslaught, as the standout right-hander picked up the win despite allowing four homers and six total runs during his seven-inning stint. Beckett did strike out nine Brewers before exiting, however.

Boston's home win streak will be put to the test by a Kansas City club that has recorded victories in six of its last seven contests. The Royals kicked off an 11-game road trip in fine fashion over the weekend, taking two of three tilts from the Florida Marlins in Miami.

In Sunday's rubber match, Jose Guillen homered and drove in four runs to lead Kansas City to a 9-3 decision over the Marlins. Mark Teahen added a two-run blast for the surging Royals, while Miguel Olivo finished 2-for-5 with an RBI double.

Kansas City also received six solid innings from starter Zack Greinke (5-1), who held Florida to three runs on nine hits while striking out five batters.

Guillen will be bringing a hot bat into this series. The power-hitting outfielder went 6-for-12 with eight RBI over the three games with the Marlins and is batting .500 (19-for-38) with 15 RBI during a current 10-game hit streak.

The Royals have had good success when facing the Red Sox as well in recent years. Kansas City has taken two of three matchups with Boston in each of its last two visits to Fenway and is 8-4 over its last 12 overall encounters with the defending champs.

The team will attempt to keep that strong run intact tonight behind rookie Luke Hochevar, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft who's pitched like one as of late. The former University of Tennessee star is 3-1 over his last four starts and has posted an excellent 2.52 earned run average during that stretch.

In his most recent mound trip, Hochevar fired six scoreless innings to defeat Detroit on Wednesday. The 24-year-old limited the Tigers to four hits and struck out five, giving him 24 K's in 29 2/3 innings of work this year.

Hochevar will be facing the Red Sox for the first time this evening.

Boston sends out a talented young pitcher of its own in Jon Lester, who brings a 2-2 record with a solid 3.95 ERA into tonight's encounter. The 24-year-old lefty comes in off Wednesday's no-decision at Baltimore in which he allowed two runs and five hits while fanning four.

Lester has been extremely sharp over his last two home starts. He defeated Tampa Bay with six innings of one-run ball on May 4 and tossed eight shutout frames in a tough-luck no-decision to Toronto on April 29.

The third-year major-leaguer is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in two previous starts against Kansas City, both of which came during the 2006 campaign.