White Sox Outslug Royals 14-11, Stay One Game Behind Guardians

Chase Meidroth drove in five runs and Randal Grichuk collected four hits as Chicago kept pace with Cleveland in the AL Central race.

The Chicago White Sox held off the Kansas City Royals 14-11 on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium, keeping themselves a single game behind Cleveland in the AL Central standings. Cleveland had beaten Boston 3-2 earlier in the day and closes its schedule with three contests in Kansas City.

Chase Meidroth delivered the biggest offensive night of his young career, driving in five runs. His three-run homer in the third inning stretched Chicago's advantage to 6-0, and he also contributed a two-run single during a first-inning rally that began with a walk to Tommy Pham, a Randal Grichuk single and a hit batter, Munetaka Murakami. The effort ran Meidroth's on-base streak to 13 games.

Grichuk finished with four hits, including a three-run blast in the fourth. Brenton Doyle opened the scoring with a second-inning leadoff home run, and Murakami capped the offensive outburst with a two-run drive in a five-run seventh.

Kansas City starter Daniel Lynch IV surrendered nine earned runs across four innings, the worst outing of his career. Chicago lefty Anthony Kay was staked to a two-run lead before throwing a pitch and gave up four runs pitching into the fifth. Noah Schultz (4-9) figured in the decision, and the White Sox bullpen survived a late surge that included Vinnie Pasquantino's first career grand slam in the ninth.

The series continues Wednesday night, with Chicago's Erick Fedde (8-9, 3.90 ERA) facing Kansas City's Seth Lugo (7-9, 5.06). The White Sox have two more games against the Royals before ending the regular season with three against Colorado.