BOSTON - The list included names like Chris Archer, Sonny Gray, Chris Sale, Felix Hernandez, and Corey Kluber.
You can throw one more up there now: Johnny Cueto.
Those are the names of some of the "aces" the Red Sox have hit around this season, and the Sox made no exception for Cueto, the Royals' big trade deadline acquisition as they march towards the postseason.
Boston jumped all over Cueto early on their way to a 7-2 win over the Royals.
It's the Sox fourth straight win, as they improve to 4-1 against the Royals this season and a major league-best 10-2 against them since 2014.
Cueto didn't return for the sixth inning after the Red Sox got to him for seven runs (six earned) on 13 hits. It was the most runs a team has scored on him since June 21, 2013. He allowed six earned runs on Sept. 16 last season, too.
Blake Swihart got the scoring started for the Sox in the second inning when he roped a double into the left-field corner that scored Travis Shaw. An error on the throw in led to another run, as Rusney Castillo made a heads-up play to dart home from third base as the gall trickled through the infield.
Boston Red Sox
Mookie Betts dove in Swihart from second base to make it 3-0 in the second inning.
It was Swihart again in the fourth inning who drove in Castillo.
The Royals did not have the best defense on the night. Still in the fourth inning, Lorenzo Cain botched a play in center, attempting to scoop a one-hopper but instead hitting it away from his body and into right field. That scored Swihart from first base and gave the Sox a 5-1 lead.
Now 5-2 in the sixth inning, Cueto's nemesis, Josh Rutledge, stepped to the plate and smashed a two-run homer to left center field. Rutledge came in to the game 3-for-3 against Cueto in his career, and finished 5-for-6.
That home run essentially finished Cueto, too, as he finished the inning and did not return.
With the seven runs scored off Cueto, the Sox have now scored at least four runs against 10 of the last 12 starting pitchers they've faced since Aug. 11 in Miami.
Red Sox rookie Henry Owens shined on the mound for Boston. Owens, making his fourth career start, pitched the best game of his young career on Friday night, lasting 8.0 innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts.
Owens allowed a leadoff home run to Alcides Escobar in the sixth inning but went on to retire the final nine batters of his outing.
Heath Hembree came on for the scoreless ninth inning.