Aaron Cook

With Josh Beckett being sent to the Dodgers along with Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto, Aaron Cook will get the start on Saturday for the Red Sox.

Cook has struggled this season after becoming a full-time starter on June 24. He’s 3-7 with a 4.79 ERA overall this year and 1-3 with a 5.32 ERA in August. Cook also only has 11 strikeouts on the season. In 11 starts this season he only has four quality starts.

In his last outing against the Angels on Aug. 21, the righty allowed five runs on 11 hits over five innings. Although he had a season-high four strikeouts, the Sox lost 5-3, giving him his seventh loss of the season.

The 33-year-old has struggled in his two career starts against the Royals with a 0-1 record and a 6.52 ERA. Only five Royals batters have at-bats against Cook in their careers. Jeff Francoeur has the most and is 10-for-26 in his career against Cook.

Jeremy Guthrie will take the mound for the Royals looking to build on an impressive August.

Guthrie, who was acquired in July from the Rockies, was having a tough season in Colorado before he joined the Royals and started turning it around. Overall this season he’s 5-12 with a 5.41 ERA, but in Kansas City he’s 2-3 with a 3.23 ERA. He hasn’t allowed an earned run since Aug. 3.

In his last start, the righty allowed two unearned runs on two hits over 7 2/3 innings. He couldn’t get the win after first baseman Eric Hosmer‘s error allowed two runs to score, knotting the game at 2-2, and Greg Holland subsequently relieved Guthrie.

Guthrie, a former Oriole, has 17 starts against Boston in his career but is an ugly 3-8 with a 4.50 ERA. From his days in Baltimore he is quite familiar with three of the Red Sox mainstays — Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury. Those three are 13-for-44, 13-for-38 and 15-for-38, respectively. Eight of Ortiz’s 13 hits vs. Guthrie have been of the extra-base variety.

Royals vs. Cook (RHP)

Jeff Francoeur (27 plate appearances): .385 BA/.407 OBP/.654 SLG, 4 doubles, 1 home run, 6 RBIs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Alcides Escobar (8): .286/.375/.429, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 walk

Brayan Pena (4): .667/.750/.667, 1 walk

Billy Butler (3): 1.000/1.000/1.000, 1 RBI

Alex Gordon (3): .000/.000/.000, 1 RBI

Red Sox vs. Guthrie (RHP)

Dustin Pedroia (49 plate appearances): .295 BA/.367 OBP/.409 SLG, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 RBI, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts

David Ortiz (45): .342/.422/.711, 5 doubles, 3 home runs, 9 RBIs, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts

Jacoby Ellsbury (40): .395/.425/.553, 3 doubles, 1 home run, 5 RBIs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (9): .444/.444/1.000, 1 triple, 1 home run, 3 RBIs, 3 strikeouts

Mike Aviles (8): .000/.000/.000, 1 RBI, 1 strikeout

Scott Podsednik (8): .286/.375/.286, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Cody Ross (3): .000/.333/.000, 1 walk

Daniel Nava (2): .500/.500/1.000, 1 double, 1 RBI