Michael Wacha allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings and Bobby Witt Jr. clubbed a two-run homer as the Kansas City Royals hung on to beat the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Kansas City has won each of its past 10 home meetings with Chicago.
The Royals have scored an average of two runs per game when Wacha (2-4) starts this season, but Witt’s long ball was just enough to give Kansas City its fifth straight win overall and 14th in the last 16 games.
Wacha issued one walk and struck out five while extending his home shutout streak against the White Sox to 21 innings, spanning three starts since the beginning of last season.
Royals closer Carlos Estevez made things interesting in the ninth, when he allowed Miguel Vargas’ second double of the game to lead off the inning, then back-to-back singles to Luis Robert Jr. — making it a one-run contest — and Matt Thaiss.
However, with runners on first and second and no outs, Estevez fanned Andrew Vaughn, got Brooks Baldwin to ground into a fielder’s choice and struck out Josh Rojas to send Kansas City to its ninth straight win overall against the White Sox. Estevez registered his 11th save.
Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino each had two hits for the Royals, who could only muster Witt’s fifth-inning blast against White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon (2-4) and two relievers. Cannon allowed two runs on nine hits and no walks with one strikeout over six innings.
Chicago has totaled four runs in losing the first three of the four-game series, the past two decisions by one run apiece.
Wacha and Cannon dueled through 4 1/2 scoreless innings before Kansas City broke through. Eighth-place hitter Luke Maile singled to open the frame, and he scored on Witt’s two-out drive that just got over the wall in left field. It was Witt’s fifth long ball of the season.
The Royals are 14-5 this season at home, while the White Sox are 3-16 on the road.
–Field Level Media
