WASHINGTON — A pair of old friends will reconnect when the Boston Red Sox visit the Washington Nationals on Monday night.

Former teammates Rick Porcello (9-2 Danton Heinen Jersey Kids , 3.60) of the Red Sox and Max Scherzer (10-4, 2.04) square off for the first time in the opener of a three-game series.

Porcello and Scherzer spent five seasons together with the Detroit Tigers, reaching the 2012 World Series before losing to the San Francisco Giants.

Since leaving Detroit, Porcello won the 2016 American League Cy Young Award and Scherzer is making a strong case for his third straight National League Cy Young. Both have been aware this matchup was coming.

“Looking forward to it. We’ve been texting back and forth,” Porcello told the Boston Globe. “We’ve had a good time with it and I’m sure we’ll both get a kick about going against each other once the game starts.”

Scherzer is looking for his first win since June 5, though he’s pitched well enough to win each of his past four starts, allowing two earned runs or less in each outing. The Nationals are 1-3 in those starts and were shut out in each loss.

“I think everybody’s been punched in the face before of not having success,” Scherzer told The Washington Post after his last start, a 1-0 loss to the Marlins. “This is the big leagues; they are going to keep coming down your throat and keep attacking you.”

Scherzer, Washington’s only dependable starter of late, is 4-4 with a 6.05 ERA in 10 starts versus Boston.

Porcello allowed four runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings last time out in a no-decision against the Angels.

He’s 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his lone start against Washington, an eight-inning effort in April of 2015.

The Nationals (42-40) squandered an early 3-0 lead in Philadelphia on Sunday and fell 4-3 in 13 innings on Andrew Knapp’s pinch-hit walk-off home run as Washington dropped a second straight weekend series to their division rivals.

Washington managed only four hits in eight innings against the Philadelphia bullpen in the finale.

“Offensively, we’ve got to do more,” outfielder Adam Eaton told The Post. “That’s plain and simple. We score early and then we can’t coast. We can’t take our foot off the accelerator. We got to keep going.”

The Nationals are now 6-15 in their past 21 games and fell six games behind Atlanta in the NL East.

In each of their last nine losses, they’ve scored three or fewer runs.

“We’ve got to start striking out less,” manager Dave Martinez told MASN, “putting the balls in play, driving in runs when we have the ability to drive in runs.”

Boston (56-29) finished a three-game series against the Yankees on a forgettable note Sunday night, getting routed 11-1 behind starter David Price as New York blasted six home runs, including three by Aaron Hicks.

Price allowed eight runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.

The Red Sox dropped two of three and travel south percentage points behind the Yankees in the AL East.

Former Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver said the key to winning is ”pitching Matthew Stafford Jersey White , fundamentals and three-run homers.”

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona can go one better: grand slams.

Yan Gomes hit a grand slam in the sixth inning and the Indians rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Tuesday night.

The Indians lead the American League with eight grand slams and it was their second in two nights. Francisco Lindor hit one Monday.

”I’m glad,” Francona said. ”I hope we have a ton more opportunities. I’m really happy about that. That’s really good for us.”

Edwin Encarnacion led off the sixth with a walk and Brandon Guyer was hit by Danny Duffy’s pitch. Yonder Alonso’s infield single loaded the bases before Gomes drove Duffy’s 1-0 changeup into the left-field bullpen.

”I hope it’s not contagious, because that means people are going up there looking to hit a grand slam,” Gomes said. ”You really just want to get up there and try to keep the line moving. I hope if we get more bases-loaded (situations), we’re just able to drive more guys in, whether that’s a sac fly or a base hit or a grand slam.”

Gomes is 10 for 26 (.385) with three home runs and eight RBIs off Duffy.

Shane Bieber (4-0) allowed all the Kansas City runs in the first two innings, and remains undefeated in his first five big league starts.

”Things got a little ugly,” Bieber said. ”They could have gotten a lot worse. I was trying to go out there and compete and move on to the next pitch.”

Chad Allen got the final four outs for his 17th save in 18 chances and his fifth of more than one inning. He stranded two runners in the ninth after a single and a walk.

Duffy (4-8) yielded six runs on eight hits, two walks and a hit batter. He is 0-3 against the Indians this season and has lost eight in a row against them dating to May 6, 2015.

”It was belt high and right out over the plate for him to tattoo and that’s what he did,” Duffy said of the grand slam. ”I hate that old song and dance these things happen, bull, but these things do happen. And it’s happened to us a lot lately. It’s really frustrating. I gave up six runs today, which means I didn’t pitch very well.”

It took Duffy 25 pitches to record an out with Lindor, Michael Brantley and Jose Ramirez opening the game with singles. Ramirez’s single deflected off Duffy’s glove to score Lindor. Alfonso’s fly to center scored Brantley with the second run.

”The first inning was a grind for Danny, 36 pitches, but he really did a pretty good job of limiting the damage there with only two runs and kind of got on a roll,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Lucas Duda homered with Rosell Herrera, who had three hits, on board to tie it in the bottom of the first.

The Royals forged ahead 4-2 in the second. Whit Merrifield singled home Adalberto Mondesi and scored on Herrera’s two-out double.

The Royals lost for the 24th time in 29 games. They did manage 12 hits http://www.lionscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-matthew-stafford-jersey , ending a club record of 24 straight games without getting double-figure hits.

ROSTER MOVES

Indians: Recalled OF Greg Allen from Triple-A Columbus, where he was hitting .487 in a nine-game hitting streak at the time of the promotion. He hit .204 in 34 games earlier this season with Cleveland. ”It definitely helps to have gone through it before,” Allen said. ”That just comes with experience.”

DRAFT SIGNINGS

Indians: They signed their first two draft picks, Canadian high school C Noah Naylor and Cumming, Georgia high school RHP Ethan Hankins. Naylor, the 29th overall pick, signed for $2,578,138, while Hankins, the 35th overall pick, signed for $2,246,022.

Royals: RHP Brady Singer, the 18th overall pick, signed for $4.25 million. He was the college player of the year, going 12-3 with a 2.55 ERA as a Florida junior.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: OF Lonnie Chisenhall (strained left calf) was placed on the disabled list. This is the second straight year he has been set back by calf injuries. He missed 50 games earlier this season with a left calf injury. He was out most of the second half of last year with a right calf injury.

Guyer left in the ninth after fouling a pitch off his left knee. Francona said the X-rays were negative.

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (strained left oblique) was placed on the disabled list retroactive to June 30th. . 3B Mike Moustakas (lower back spasms) was a late scratch. Yost said his back tightened up after he lifted one of his children.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer is 0-1 with a 3.55 ERA in two starts this season against the Royals.