Kyle Isbel hit a go-ahead single in the ninth inning after Michael Massey tied the game with a two run single, lifting the visiting Kansas City Royals to a 5-4 win against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.
Chicago led 4-0 after seven innings and came within four outs of recording its third straight shutout. The Royals rallied for five runs and eight hits against the White Sox relief corps over the last two innings.
Kansas City’s Carlos Estevez struck out two in a perfect bottom of the ninth for his 35th save in 41 chances.
Martin Perez pitched seven shutout innings and Colson Montgomery homered in his fourth straight game for Chicago.
Perez shined in his third start since returning to the majors after missing nearly four months with left elbow inflammation. The veteran southpaw permitted one hit and a hit batter while striking out five, but the bullpen implosion cost him the opportunity for his first victory since March 31.
After Kansas City loaded the bases with one out against Jordan Leasure in the eighth, Maikel Garcia greeted Grant Taylor with a two-run single to draw the Royals within 4-2.
Kansas City loaded the bases against Taylor (0-4) with one out in the ninth. Tyler Alexander served up the hits to Massey and Isbel before Steven Wilson worked out of the jam.
Sam Long (2-3) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win.
Kyle Teel had three hits and an RBI for the White Sox, while Mike Tauchman added two hits. Jonathan India had two hits and two runs for the Royals.
Montgomery opened the scoring in the second inning, smacking an opposite-field solo home run against Royals starter Michael Lorenzen off the foul pole in left.
Bobby Witt Jr. collected Kansas City’s lone hit against Perez with a single to open the fourth, extending his hitting streak to 15 games.
Lorenzen scattered four runs and seven hits in five-plus innings. He walked one and struck out six.
John Schreiber relieved Lorenzen with the bases loaded and the Royals trailing 2-0 in the sixth. He allowed an RBI single to Lenyn Sosa and threw a wild pitch that allowed a run to score, pushing the Chicago lead to 4-0.
White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. left the game in the fourth inning due to left hamstring soreness. The team announced that he would undergo further evaluation.
