Dozier, Soler go deep as Royals down White Sox

[September 13, 2019]  Hunter Dozier stroked a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth inning to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 6-3 win over the host Chicago White Sox on Thursday afternoon.

Jorge Soler went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs while Dozier added a double for the Royals (55-92), who won for the fourth time in six games. Kansas City captured the last two games of the three-game series.

Royals starter Jorge Lopez (4-7) allowed three runs, two earned, on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two.

Yoan Moncada went 3-for-5, and James McCann and Tim Anderson contributed two-hit outings for the White Sox (64-82), who stranded 12 runners.

Lucas Giolito (14-9) struck out 12 -- including eight straight at one point -- in six innings, but four of the five runs he allowed came via home runs. He yielded five hits and one walk.

Soler started the day two homers behind American League leader Mike Trout, and he immediately slashed that deficit in half. The 27-year-old slugger swatted a fastball from Giolito out to left-center with one out in the first for his 44th home run and third in two days.

Erick Mejia pushed the lead to 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the second for his first major league RBI.

Chicago's Moncada and Jose Abreu reached bases on singles in the third, and both moved up a base on a passed ball. Jimenez drove in Moncada with an infield hit to make it 2-1. However, second baseman Whit Merrifield recovered and threw out Abreu at the plate for the third out.

White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (27) delivers against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Giolito buckled down after Kansas City's two single-run frames and mowed down the Royals in the third, fourth and fifth innings. The right-hander struck out eight consecutive batters, seven of them swinging. The crowd came to life as he set a franchise record by fanning Mejia for No. 8 in a row.

Merrifield walked and Soler singled to start the sixth, and Dozier crushed a first-pitch fastball from Giolito to left for a three-run homer and a 5-2 lead.

The White Sox trimmed the deficit to 5-3 on a sacrifice fly by Yolmer Sanchez in the bottom of the sixth. Tim Hill then replaced Lopez with one on and struck out pinch hitter Danny Mendick and Adam Engel to end the frame.

Chicago loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but lefty reliever Gabe Speier entered and fanned pinch hitter Leury Garcia on four pitches.

After the Royals got an insurance run on a ninth-inning passed ball, closer Ian Kennedy allowed a hit and two walks to fill the bases but struck out Garcia swinging for his 29th save.

--Field Level Media

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