Salvador Perez had three hits and two RBIs and Michael Massey hit a two-run home run to lift the visiting Kansas City Royals past the Chicago White Sox 7-1 on Wednesday night.
Rookie right-hander Alec Marsh earned his first career victory as Kansas City (46-101) took two of three to claim the season series from the White Sox 7-6.
Chicago (56-90) lost for the ninth time in 12 games. The White Sox reached the 90-loss mark for the first time since the 2018 club lost 100.
Andrew Benintendi hit a ground-rule double two batters into the game, but Chicago collected just one extra-base hit the rest of the night.
The White Sox got their lone run on Yasmani Grandal’s RBI fielder’s choice in the seventh, two batters after a Yoan Moncada double.
Working as an opener in what officially was his first start, Kansas City rookie Steven Cruz pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits with a career-best four strikeouts.
Marsh (1-8) was sharp, too, following Cruz by spacing one run and three hits in 4 1/3 innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
Massey, who grew up a White Sox fan and attended Brother Rice, a Chicago parochial high school, continued to torment his former muses.
He followed an Edward Olivares infield single leading off the Royals’ second with a homer to right-center field. That proved to be the lone blemish against Chicago right-hander Mike Clevinger, who scattered two runs and six hits in six innings while striking out seven.
Massey has hit six of his 13 home runs this season against the White Sox. He connected for a three-run shot to help the Royals win the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
Clevinger (7-8) didn’t issue a walk for the third straight start this month, a span of 17 innings. He lost to Kansas City for the first time in 16 career appearances, including 15 starts.
Nick Loftin, who pinch-hit in the seventh, had two hits, two runs and two RBIs for Kansas City, which broke the game open with a three-run seventh. Bobby Witt Jr. added two hits for the Royals.
–Field Level Media