CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Massey homered for the second straight game, Salvador Perez had three hits and two RBIs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 7-1 on Wednesday night.
Four pitchers combined to limit Chicago to one run on five hits while striking out nine. Kansas City won its second straight against Chicago and took the season series 7-6.
Rookie Steven Cruz opened with two scoreless, two-hit innings. Fellow rookie Alec Marsh (1-8) followed, allowing one run on three hits in 4 1/3 innings for his first major league victory.
James McArthur got five outs, and Tucker Davidson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
Chicago starter Mike Clevinger (7-8) allowed two runs — on Massey’s drive in the second — and six hits in six innings. The right-hander struck out seven and didn’t give up a walk.
Nick Loftin drove in two runs, with a single and double, after entering as a pinch-hitter in the seventh.
Loftin, Perez and Bobby Witt, Jr. had RBIs in the seventh for the Royals, whose 46—101 record is the worst in the majors. The White Sox have the fourth-worst mark at 56-90. Both teams have been eliminated from the postseason.
Massey, has six homers and 17 RBIs in 19 career games against the White Sox, a team he rooted for while growing up in the Chicago suburb of Palos Park, Illinois. The 25-year-old infielder has 13 homers this year, his second in the majors, and 17 total so far in his career.
Called up from the Triple-A Omaha on Aug. 29, Cruz made his first career start.
Marsh pitched in his 14th game. The 25-year-old righty started eight of them since being recalled from Omaha and making his debut June 30.
Massey hit Clevinger’s 1-0 fastball into the right-field bullpen in the second to put Kansas City ahead 2-0.
Loftin and Perez each had an RBI single in the seventh as Kansas City scored three-runs off relievers Aaron Bummer and Lane Ramsey to take a 5-0 lead. Witt drove in a run with a sac fly.
Through the first six innings, Chicago advanced only two runners as far as second base.
The White Sox broke through in the seventh. Yoán Moncada led off with a double, then advanced to third on Andrew Vaughn’s infield hit and scored when Witt threw wildly on Yasmani Grandal’s grounder to shortstop.
Loftin and Perez drove in runs in the ninth.
UP NEXT:
Royals: Had not yet named a starter to face Houston RHP Cristian Javier (9-3, 4.78) at Kansas City on Friday.
White Sox: Will send RHP José Ureña (0-5, 8.46) to face Minnesota RHP Kenta Maeda (4-7, 4.65) in Chicago on Thursday to open a four-game series.
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