Chicago White Sox vs Kansas City Royals Match Player Stats On Apr 04, 2024

Nelson Velazquez and MJ Melendez homered, and Seth Lugo escaped several jams as the host Kansas City Royals blasted the Chicago White Sox 10-1 on Thursday evening.

Lugo (1-0) allowed five singles and a walk through the first four innings, avoiding damage with the help of three double-play grounders, including Yoan Moncada's sharp grounder with the bases loaded in the third.

In 6 2/3 innings, Lugo allowed a run on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Royals starting pitchers have a 1.43 ERA through the first seven games.

Kansas City broke the game open with an eight-run seventh inning highlighted by Kyle Isbel's two-run bloop single to right and shortstop Braden Shewmake's three-run error.

Melendez's first homer of the season, a two-run blast 421 feet to right, capped the Royals' biggest inning of the year.

In the second inning, Velazquez's one-out hit scored Melendez, who doubled off White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn's glove.

Velazquez crushed Michael Soroka's full-count fastball 429 feet into the left-field fountains for a 2-0 advantage in the fourth. The solo shot was Velázquez's second of the year.

Bobby Witt Jr. had a pair of hits, including his fifth double of the season. Witt has an extra-base hit in six of seven games.

Soroka (0-1) allowed two runs on six hits with two strikeouts over six innings.

The White Sox broke through in the sixth on Vaughn's RBI single, cutting the deficit to 2-1, but Gavin Sheets was cut down at the plate trying to score on Shewmake's shallow fly to right fielder Melendez, ending the threat.

Vaughn, Sheets, and Korey Lee each had a pair of hits for Chicago.

The White Sox hit into four double plays and were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Chicago is 4-for-32 this season in those situations.

--Field Level Media