Kansas City Royals beat Chicago White Sox, completing sweep and improving to 6-4
The Kansas City Royals wanted a new mindset in the clubhouse, a cohesion that shows how different this year’s club is from last season’s historically woeful edition.
So far, so good.
The Royals defeated the Chicago White Sox 5-3 in front of 14,251 fans on Sunday to complete a four-game series sweep on a sunny afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
“Overall, the feeling is really good,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “(The sweep) is a nice thing, for sure. It’s something that these guys were really pushing for. The way all four of these games transpired, they were all close to the middle to late part of the game ... and to stick with it is really, really cool to see.”
It’s the Royals’ first four-game series sweep since April 23-23, 2021 against the Detroit Tigers.
Trailing 3-2 in the seventh inning, KC’s MJ Melendez — yet again — gave KC the lead with a two-run home run off Chicago relief pitcher Deivi Garcia.
From there, KC’s bullpen put the White Sox bats on ice. James McArthur, the Royals’ fourth relief pitcher of the day, struck out Dominic Fletcher with two men on to end the game and earn the save.
Here’s a look at how the game unfolded:
Middle innings provide drama
The game didn’t feature much offense until the middle innings, as both teams were scoreless through three. In fact, the Royals didn’t even have a hit until the fifth inning.
After three scoreless innings, Royals starter Alec Marsh struggled in the fourth and fifth. He pitched 4 2/3, allowing three earned runs with three strikeouts. He surrendered eight hits and one walk.
“With how my stuff was playing, the guys came in and picked me up,” Marsh said. “Offensively, they did it the whole time. It’s just a great team win.”
White Sox starter Garrett Crochet fared better. He exited after five having allowed two earned runs and striking out five.
The White Sox got on the board first when Dominic Fletcher’s double brought home Andrew Benintendi. Chicago added another run on a sacrifice fly by Braden Shewmake to take a 2-0 lead through four.
The Royals answered with two runs in the fifth on a two-run blast by Hunter Renfroe, his first in a KC uniform. Then the Royals tacked on three more runs in the seventh to take control of the game.
The Royals improve to 6-4 this season.
Missed the start of the series?
Game 1: Royals on pace to shatter team pitching record after 10-1 win over White Sox
Game 2: The Kansas City Royals are back to .500 after late rally
Game 3: A KC Royals ... winning streak? Michael Wacha & MJ Melendez key 3rd straight win
Royals break up no-hitter
It took until the fifth inning for the Royals to get a hit off Crotchet.
Nelson Velázquez broke up Crotchet’s no-hit bid with a single to start the bottom of the fifth.
Two batters later, Renfroe hit a two-run home run to put the Royals on the scoreboard.
MJ Melendez stays hot
After clutch theatrics on Friday and Saturday, Royals outfielder Melendez drove in what would prove to be the game-winning run … again.
Like the other two games, the seventh inning was Melendez’s time. He turned on a four-seam 95.3 mph fastball thrown to the upper-left corner of the strike zone, sending Garcia’s offering to center field for a two-run homer.
The play was reviewed for fan interference, but the call stood.
Melendez finished 1-for-3 on Sunday.
He explained his approach succinctly after the game.
“It’s all about confidence for me right now,” he said.
Royals announce trade
After the game, the Royals announced that they’d acquired right-handed pitcher Colin Selby from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for minor-league left-handed pitcher Connor Oliver.
Selby, 26, was designated for assignment last Tuesday and has been assigned to Triple-A Omaha. In a corresponding move, the Royals transferred pitcher Josh Taylor to the 60-day Injured List.
A 16th-round draft pick by Pittsburgh in 2918, Selby made his MLB in August and spent the rest of the season in the majors. He recorded 30 strikeouts in 24 innings across 21 appearances (including five as an opener).
Oliver, 22, was a 17th-round pick by the Royals last year; he appeared in one game with the Arizona Complex League Royals last summer.
Up next:
After an off-day Monday, the Royals will play three home games against Houston. Cole Ragans is KC’s probable pitcher for the series opener against the Astros.
This story was originally published April 7, 2024 at 3:45 PM.
