Carter Jensen had three hits with two RBIs, and five Kansas City relievers held the Chicago White Sox to one hit over five scoreless innings, as the Royals earned a 5-4 road win Sunday.
Steven Cruz (2-2), Beck Way, Lucas Erceg, Matt Strahm and Alex Lange (seven saves) each pitched an inning and stymied the White Sox, who did all their scoring in the first two frames against starter Luinder Avila.
Jensen, meanwhile, extended his hitting streak to 19 games and delivered a tiebreaking double in the fourth for the Royals, who avoided being swept in this three-game set.
Miguel Vargas had a two-run homer for Chicago, which lost for just the sixth time in its last 30 home games.
Kansas City wasted no time getting on the board against Chicago’s Anthony Kay (6-3). Lane Thomas opened the contest by snapping his 0-for-19 slump with a single into center field, stole second and eventually scored on Jensen’s opposite-field single to left.
Chicago, however, went ahead 2-1, just two batters into the bottom of the first. After Avila walked Sam Antonacci, Vargas went deep into the left-field bleachers.
The Royals regained the lead in the second. Kay hit Isaac Collins, then Tyler Tolbert reached when Chicago shortstop Colson Montgomery booted a ground ball. Two batters later, Thomas grounded an RBI single to left. After a wild pitch advanced runners to second and third, Bobby Witt Jr. lifted a sacrifice fly to center for a 3-2 Royals edge.
Chicago took back the lead in the bottom of the second. With two out, Antonacci singled to right, then Vargas doubled down the left-field line. Both scored on Kyle Teel’s broken-bat single to left.
Kansas City tied things in the third. Starling Marte opened with a single and eventually scored from third on Collins’ double inside the right-field line that eluded a diving Braden Montgomery. The Royals then took the lead in the fourth after Witt drew a two-out walk and scored on Jensen’s double into the right-field corner.
That ended the day for Kay, who allowed five runs — four earned — and seven hits over 3 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, Avila lasted four innings, giving up four runs, six hits and three walks.
