KANSAS CITY (AP) — MJ Melendez hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning to send the Kansas City Royals past the Chicago White Sox 8-3 on Wednesday night.
Melendez and Salvador Perez both had three hits and two RBI for the Royals. Kyle Isbel drove in two runs and scored twice.
After leading all minor leaguers with 41 home runs last year, Melendez has 14 in 81 big league games this season. The left-handed-hitting rookie sent a pitch from lefty reliever Jake Diekman (5-2) into the right-field bullpen to give Kansas City a 4-3 lead.
Isbel hit a two-run single in the eighth and scored on Melendez's single. Perez added an RBI single to make it 8-3.
Josh Staumont (3-1) worked a perfect seventh for the win.
Royals starter Kris Bubic allowed three runs (one earned) and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three. He skirted trouble in every inning until the sixth, when Chicago touched him for three runs.