Melendez’s third home run of series lifts Royals over White Sox 5-3 for 4-game sweep

By DAVID SMALE Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — MJ Melendez hit his third home run of the series, a two-run drive in a three-run seventh inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Sunday for a four-game sweep.
“The way these all four of these games transpired — they were all close in the middle to late part of the game,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “To stick with it is really cool to see.”
Chicago started 1-9 for just the second time in the 124-year history of the franchise after going 0-10 in 1968.
“We had a lot of opportunities to score,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol aid, “and we didn’t capitalize with the big hit. We should have brought that game home.”
Chicago ended a 19-inning scoreless streak in the fourth and led 3-0 in the fifth before Hunter Renroe’s two-run homer off starter Garrett Crochet.
Melendez hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Deivi García (0-2) for a 4-3 lead, his third go-ahead hit of the series. Melendez flipped his bat in triumph.
He had a go-ahead, eight-inning single on Friday and a tiebreaking, seventh-inning homer on Saturday.
“Obviously, a little bit of luck right there,” Melendez said. “I’m just thankful that I’m able to help do something to help the team win. It’s just pretty crazy.”
Kansas City added a run when Kyle Isbel reached on what was scored on an infield hit when reliever Dominic Leone failed to catch the throw to first from second baseman Lenyn Sosa.
John Schreiber (1-0) pitched a one-hit seventh and James McArthur got three outs for his second save as Kansas City completed its first four-game sweep since 2021.
Dominic Fletcher hit an RBI double in the fourth off Alec Marsh and scored on Braden Shewmake’s sacrifice fly, just the third multi-run inning of the season for the White Sox.
UP NEXT
White Sox: RHP Triston McKenzie (0-1, 10.80 ERA) starts for Cleveland in Monday’s series opener against visiting Chicago.
Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (0-1, 1.46 ERA) opens Tuesday’s series against visiting Houston.