The American League Central leading Chicago White Sox hit a speed bump on Monday night, falling to the suddenly red-hot Kansas City Royals 4-3 at Kauffman Stadium. For the second straight game, Jorge Soler hammered a pair of home runs, while Mike Minor pitched six effective innings in improving to the .500 mark, 8-8 for the 2021 season.
The Royals bats got to Dallas Keuchel (7-4), hitting three home runs, as the former Cy Young winner allowed four hits on six hits in six innings. Scott Barlow worked the 8th and 9th innings for the Royals, earning his sixth save of the season.
Kansas City’s offense was bolstered by Soler, who slugged a 449 foot blast to center field in the second inning for his 12th homer of the season, before adding #13, a 413 foot shot to left, in his next at-bat. The Royals added to the lead in the 5th inning on an RBI double by Whit Merrifield, scoring Jarrod Dyson.
Chicago scored twice in the visitor’s sixth inning, with Andrew Benintendi pushing the KC lead back to two runs with an opposite field homer, snapping an 0-for-13 slump. Chicago scored a run in the ninth on an Adam Engel RBI single, but had the rally fall one run short.
MLB Scoreboard for Monday, July 26, 2021:
Los Angeles Angels 6, Colorado Rockies 2
Boston Red Sox 5, Toronto Blue Jays 4
Minnesota Twins 6, Detroit Tigers 5 (10)
Seattle Mariners 11, Houston Astros 8
Atlanta Braves 2, New York Mets 0 (7) (DH 1)
New York Mets 1, Atlanta Braves 0 (7) (DH 2)
Chicago Cubs 6, Cincinnati Reds 5
Philadelphia Phillies 6, Washington Nationals 5
