Freddy Fermin and the host Kansas City Royals squeezed by the Chicago White Sox 4-3 on a rainy Thursday afternoon.
With runners at the corners and one out in the ninth inning, Fermin executed a perfect safety squeeze bunt, scoring Nick Pratto for the Royals’ first walk-off win since Sept. 7, 2022 — 2-1 over the Cleveland Guardians.
Reynaldo Lopez (0-3) walked Pratto leading off the decisive inning on Thursday. Pratto went to third on Matt Duffy’s single before Fermin’s second hit of the game.
Scott Barlow (1-2) earned the win, pitching a hitless top of the ninth.
The game was delayed an hour due to rain and was seriously affected by soggy field conditions.
White Sox starting pitcher Mike Clevinger was charged with a pitch clock violation as he worked to groom the mound before pitching to leadoff hitter Bobby Witt Jr. Visibly incensed over the violation, Clevinger walked Witt, who subsequently stole second and third.
In the second inning, Clevinger received another clock violation two pitches before Michael Massey hit his second homer of the season — and second in two days — off the right-field foul pole for a 1-0 Royals lead.
Clevinger allowed three runs on three hits, walking two and striking out two.
As a light rain fell throughout the game, fielders ran gingerly in the wet grass and Yasmani Grandal appeared to slip rounding a wet first base while running out a second-inning double. Grandal left the game in the fourth after his second hit with an apparent leg injury.
Andrew Vaughn singled in the third, tying the game. Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi each had a pair of hits for Chicago.
Maikel Garcia’s two-run double broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth for a 3-1 Royals advantage.
With two outs in the eighth, Luis Robert Jr. hit a two-strike liner that kicked up chalk on the third-base line, bringing in two runs to tie the game.
Kansas City starter Brady Singer threw six innings, allowing a run on five hits, striking out four and walking two.
The Royals have won four of five, improving to 6-17 at Kauffman Stadium to close their longest homestand of the season.
–Field Level Media