Chicago White Sox vs Kansas City Royals Match Player Stats On Jul 21, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 22, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Whit Merrifield drove in three runs, including the game-winner in the 10th inning, as the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Chicago White Sox 7-6 on Friday night.

Merrifield's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the 10th brought home Alcides Escobar for the walk-off victory.

Escobar and Alex Gordon, who had three hits and three RBIs, started the inning with singles. They advanced on a wild pitch and pinch-hitter Jorge Bonifacio walked to load the bases to set the stage for Merrifield's sacrifice fly.

Neftali Felix (1-0) picked up the victory. Tyler Clippard (1-6) absorbed the loss in his first game for the White Sox after being acquired in a Tuesday seven-player trade with the New York Yankees.

The Royals won their third in a row to move a game above .500.

Top prospect Yohan Moncada had four RBIs, but it did not prevent the White Sox from snapping their seven-game losing streak.

Chicago struck for two runs in the second inning. Ian Kennedy walked Avisail Garcia to lead off the inning. Matt Davidson laced a single to right and when Merrifield mishandled it, the runners advanced a base on the error.

Moncada's groundout to first baseman Brandon Moss got Garcia home. Omar Narvaez's two-out single to center scored Davidson.

The Royals got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Escobar doubled to left center with two outs to extend his home on-base streak to 20 games and later scored on Gordon's single.

Jose Abreu and Garcia singled while Davidson drew a 10-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs in the third. All three scored when Moncada tripled on an 0-2 Kennedy offering.

Mike Moustakas pounded his 26th home run on James Shields' first pitch of the fourth. Kansas City tacked on two more runs when Merrifield's double scored Gordon, who had walked, and Drew Butera, who had singled.

The White Sox increased their lead to 6-4 in the fifth with an unearned run. Lorenzo Cain failed to catch Yolmer Sanchez's liner for a three-base error. Scott Alexander replaced Kennedy and Sanchez scored on a passed ball charged to Butera.

The Royals tied it in the bottom of the fifth and chased Shields. Moss opened with a single and advanced to third on Salvador Perez's double. After Moustakas was walked intentionally to load the bases, Gordon hit a two-run, opposite-field double.

Kennedy allowed six runs (five earned), six hits and two walks in four innings plus one batter. Kennedy has not won in 13 consecutive home starts.

Shields went 4 1/3 innings, permitting six runs, 10 hits and three walks.

NOTES: 1B Eric Hosmer was not with the Royals when the game started. He was away for undisclosed family matters but made it to the stadium late and entered in the fourth inning as a pinch hitter. ... Royals RF Jorge Bonifacio was out with a sore foot after fouling a ball off of it Thursday. ... White Sox starting pitchers have a 5.87 ERA in the past 51 games. They have only 11 quality starts in that stretch. ... The White Sox are 3-11 in July. ... White Sox RHP Mike Pelfrey and Royals LHP Jason Vargas are the Saturday probables.