Nelson Velázquez and MJ Melendez each homered and drove in two runs as the Kansas City Royals secured a 10-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday night. Right fielder Hunter Renfroe’s crucial throw in the sixth inning prevented a potential tying run, before Kansas City dominated with eight runs in the seventh.
Velázquez contributed to the early scoring with a single and a homer, bringing in the first two runs. Pitcher Seth Lugo, earning his first win with the Royals, allowed one run and eight hits over 6â…” innings. Lugo’s performance added to the consistent quality outings from Kansas City’s starters, who currently maintain a 1.43 ERA. Lugo struck out three and walked two, with Angel Zerpa closing out the seventh inning to preserve the Royals’ lead.
Meanwhile, White Sox pitcher Michael Soroka yielded two runs and six hits over six innings in his second start for the team. Velázquez continued to make an impact, scoring again in the fourth with a 429-foot homer.
Chicago managed to score against Lugo in the sixth inning, ending a 25-inning scoreless streak for the Royals. The Royals then broke the game wide open in the seventh inning, capitalizing on Deivi GarcÃa’s struggles on the mound.
In other news, the White Sox finalized a one-year, $3 million contract with right-hander Mike Clevinger, who was subsequently optioned to the minors. To accommodate Clevinger on the 40-man roster, infielder José RodrÃguez was designated for assignment.
The two teams will meet again for the second game of their four-game series at 6:40 p.m. Friday.
Other MLB scores from Thursday, April 5, 2024:Â
St. Louis Cardinals 8, Miami Marlins 5
Pittsburgh Pirates 7, Washington Nationals 4
Cleveland Guardians 4, Minnesota Twins 2
Detroit Tigers 6, New York Mets 3 (11)
New York Mets 2, Detroit Tigers 1Â
