Jacob Gonzalez delivered a one-out, walk-off single as the Chicago White Sox claimed their franchise-record 10th straight home series with a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon.
Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Braden Montgomery (bunt) all singled for their second hits to open the ninth inning against Daniel Lynch IV (2-2).
Facing John Schreiber, Gonzalez lined a 3-2 fastball past shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. in a five-man infield as the first-place White Sox improved to 4-1 on their six-game homestand.
Grant Taylor (3-1) pitched two perfect innings with four strikeouts for the win.
Kansas City’s Michael Massey was 2-for-2 with a walk, but the Royals managed just six hits.
Chicago staff ace Davis Martin and Royals starter Michael Wacha were locked in a pitcher’s duel the night after spectacular offensive fireworks by the South Siders.
Seeking his 10th win, Martin was effective in firing 5 1/3 shutout innings and allowing just four hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Wacha went 7 2/3 strong innings and allowed a run on six hits. He fanned seven with a walk.
The ninth matchup between the American League Central rivals this season started much tamer than Friday’s series opener, when the home side scored 10 runs in the third inning and zipped away to a 22-1 decimation.
Martin had to bear down in the second when Massey and Salvador Perez produced one-out hits and advanced to second and third. Yet the right-hander whiffed John Rave and Nick Loftin to end the threat.
After Chicago managed a season-high 23 hits the night before, Wacha silenced the home bats through the first three innings as the White Sox only reached base on fielding errors by Witt and Jac Caglianone.
Witt’s one-out double in the sixth chased Martin from the matchup, but Sean Newcomb retired Caglianone and Lane Thomas to keep it scoreless.
Following Massey’s leadoff bunt single, Tyler Tolbert entered as a pinch runner and promptly stole second and third. Newcomb’s strikeout of Perez and his dazzling glove flip to get Tolbert at home gave the White Sox a chance to get out unscathed.
However, Carter Jensen ripped a 2-0 pitch to score Starling Marte, but right fielder Braden Montgomery’s strong throw home helped put out Loftin between third and home.
Braden Montgomery contributed at the plate in the seventh with a fielder’s choice that scored pinch runner Luisangel Acuna to tie it.
–Field Level Media
