KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whit Merrifield hit his first career homer, Edinson Volquez tossed seven innings of two-hit ball and the Kansas City Royals beat Cleveland 2-1 on Monday night to end a five-game skid against the Indians.

Alcides Escobar also drove in a run for the Royals, who have won three in a row after an eight-game losing streak. They also won their seventh consecutive game at Kauffman Stadium.

Volquez (6-6) walked the bases loaded in the first inning before settling down, allowing only a double to Jason Kipnis and a single to Lonnie Chisenhall. Volquez also hit a batter with a pitch and worked around an error, but ultimately kept the Indians from scoring.

Kelvin Herrera allowed a leadoff homer to Kipnis in the eighth but navigated the rest of the inning, and Wade Davis pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 18th save.

Carlos Carrasco (2-2) gave up both Kansas City runs and 10 hits over six innings.

Merrifield, who made his big league debut last month, tripled to start the game and scored when Escobar followed with a single. Then, the 27-year-old rookie lived up to his “Two-hit Whit” moniker by driving an 0-2 pitch over the left-field wall with two outs in the fourth.

He was greeted at the dugout by Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who playfully doffed his helmet.

Merrifield, considered a super-utility player, also helped turn a trio of double plays while getting another start at second base. One of them ended the eighth inning and preserved a 2-1 lead.

The Indians had plenty of opportunities, even after Chisenhall grounded out to leave the bases full in the first inning. Kipnis was left standing on second in the third, and the Indians left runners at the corners in the fourth when Rajai Davis grounded out to end the inning.

Yan Gomes squandered another chance by grounding into an inning-ending double play in the sixth, and Jose Ramirez did likewise when he grounded to Merrifield in the eighth.

ROYAL INTRODUCTION

The Royals introduced their top pick in this year’s first-year player draft, 6-foot-4 RHP A.J. Puckett, prior to the game. The Pepperdine pitcher was taken in the second round at No. 67 overall and agreed to a signing bonus of $1.2 million.

FOUNDATION DONATION

The Kauffman Foundation announced a $1 million grant to the Urban Youth Baseball Academy, a project spearheaded by Royals GM Dayton Moore. The foundation was started in 1966 by Ewing Kauffman, who founded the Royals and owned the team until his death in 1993.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians 3B Juan Uribe got the night off after taking a hard grounder squarely in the groin Sunday against the Angels. Uribe left on a cart with a testicular contusion.

UP NEXT

Indians RHP Josh Tomlin tries to beat the Royals for the third time this season when the teams continue their series Tuesday night. RHP Chris Young pitches for Kansas City for the first time since June 5 in Cleveland, when he allowed four solo homers in a 7-0 loss.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — The Baltimore brawl is over. Yordano Ventura is concentrating on finding his form for the Kansas City Royals.

This was an awfully nice step in that direction.

Ventura pitched seven sharp innings in his first start since his fight with Manny Machado, and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Sunday for their second straight win following an eight-game losing streak.

“Today (I) was feeling what (I’ve) been working on all along,” Ventura said, with catching coach Pedro Grifol serving as translator, “which is get the ball out of the glove quickly and get out in front.”

Ventura (5-4) struck out a season-high 10 and walked one in his first win since May 17 against Boston, making the most of Kansas City’s run-scoring singles in the first and second. Salvador Perez added a leadoff homer down the left-field line in the ninth.

The 25-year-old Ventura went 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA in his previous four starts.

“When we took him out of the game, I told him tomorrow his duty was to come in and watch every pitch of that ballgame because every pitch that he delivered for me was phenomenal,” manager Ned Yost said.

Ventura was suspended nine games by Major League Baseball after he hit Machado in the back with a 99 mph fastball in the fifth inning of a 9-1 loss Tuesday, leading to a bench-clearing fight. But the right-hander appealed the punishment and is allowed to pitch until the process is complete.

“For me, I mean, he was totally judged guilty without even a trial, without hearing any of the evidence,” Yost said. “To me, that wasn’t right, but it is what it is.”

Chicago put runners on first and third with no outs in the fifth, but J.B. Shuck struck out looking and Ventura got rookie Tim Anderson to bounce into a double play — one of three on the day for Chicago. After Jose Abreu homered in the sixth, Ventura struck out Melky Cabrera and Todd Frazier to end the inning.

Kelvin Herrera worked the eighth and Wade Davis finished for his 17th save in 18 chances, helping Yost improve to 500-499 in seven years with Kansas City.

The White Sox lost for the 14th time in their last 18 games — five of those defeats have come against the Royals.

“There’s no worry,” left-hander Carlos Rodon said. “We know we’re good enough. We’re just going through a rough patch.”

Rodon (2-6) shook off a slow start and pitched six effective innings after he was pushed back a couple of days due to a sore neck. He allowed seven hits, struck out seven and walked two.

“He threw well,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “He got into some binds there and I think he limited his chances. There could have been some big innings there and he bucked up and got out of it.”

Kendrys Morales’ two-out RBI single got Kansas City on the board in the first, and Whit Merrifield added another run-scoring single in the second.

OLD FRIENDS

White Sox right-hander James Shields chatted with Yost when he visited the Royals before the game.

Shields won 27 games over two seasons in Kansas City, helping the Royals reach the 2014 World Series. He signed with San Diego in February 2015 and was traded to the White Sox on June 4.

“He left a big impact here. It’s good to see him,” Yost said. “I’m glad he’s back in the American League.”

Shields lasted just two-plus innings in an 11-4 loss to Washington in his White Sox debut on Wednesday. He pitches again on Monday against Detroit.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Perez was checked on by Yost and a trainer after the catcher fell awkwardly while chasing a wild pitch in the fourth inning. Perez stayed in after catching a warmup pitch from Ventura.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez (5-6, 4.25 ERA) gets the ball when Kansas City begins a seven-game homestand Monday night against Cleveland. RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 3.48) pitches for the Indians in the opener of a three-game series.

White Sox: Shields (2-8, 5.06 ERA) is 7-6 with a 4.10 ERA in 18 career starts against Detroit. LHP Matt Boyd (0-1, 3.38) goes for the Tigers.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — A couple days ago, maybe the ball Cheslor Cuthbert hit in the third inning would’ve been caught at the warning track.

On Saturday, the wind and the luck were on Kansas City’s side.

The World Series champion Royals ended an eight-game losing streak, with Cuthbert hitting two home runs and Danny Duffy pitching six shutout innings in a 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.

“No, I didn’t think it would be a home run,” Cuthbert said of what initially appeared to be just deep fly in the third. “I hit it OK. I thought it might be off the wall.”

The Royals stopped their longest slide since an eight-game drought in May 2013.

“It’s big. It was a team effort,” Duffy said.

Kendrys Morales also homered for Kansas City.

“That’s the advantage of hitting homers,” manager Ned Yost said. “You don’t have to bunch three and four hits together.”

The White Sox lost for the 21st time in their last 29 games following back-to-back wins.

Duffy (2-1) struck out 10 and gave up three hits. He made his sixth start since rejoining the Royals’ rotation.

The left-hander was sharp despite battling the 91-degree heat and a mound he described as having a “Grand Canyon” on the rubber and landing spot.

“I tried to shorten my stride and it might have helped me because of how bad the landing spot was,” Duffy said. “It was hot and my legs were struggling and the mound was pretty chewed up.”

Avisail Garcia singled in Chicago’s lone run off reliever Wade Davis with two outs in the ninth.

Jose Quintana (5-7) also struck out 10 in his career-high sixth straight loss. He hasn’t won since May 8 vs. Minnesota when he had a league-leading 1.38 ERA.

Quintana gave up all three homers and walked none in eight innings, but the White Sox provided no offensive support.

“I don’t get it,” third baseman Todd Frazier said. “I don’t understand when we get opportunities we squander them. We’ve just got to figure out a way to get something.”

The Royals hit three solo home runs for the second straight day. They moved ahead of the White Sox by a half-game in the AL Central.

Duffy escaped a second-and-third, one-out jam in the first by striking out Frazier and retiring Brett Lawrie on a lineout.

SOLO FLIGHT

Kansas City’s last eight homers have all been solo shots.

ROOM FOR ROOKIE

Prized White Sox prospect and SS Tim Anderson was back in the lineup and went 0 for 3 after getting two hits in his major league debut on Friday. Manager Robin Ventura said Anderson figures to play “at least five days a week” after making progress at the plate and in the field since spring training.

NEW MIX

Yost used a new-look lineup for a second day following a 7-5 loss to Chicago on Friday night. LF Whit Merrifield led off, with SS Alcides Escobar batting second, 1B Eric Hosmer third and CF Lorenzo Cain fourth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Dillon Gee was recalled from Triple-A Omaha and LHP Scott Alexander was optioned to Omaha on Saturday. Yost said the 30-year-old Gee, who has made four starts with the Royals this year, will work out of the bullpen. . OF Brett Eibner (ankle) went 0 for 3 on Friday at Triple-A Omaha in a rehab stint.

White Sox: OF Jason Coats, recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on Friday after CF Austin Jackson was put on the 15-day DL (right meniscus tear) on Friday, was in the lineup as the DH. He went 0 for 2 with a walk.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura (4-4, 5.32) remains active as he appeals a nine-game suspension resulting from a fight with Baltimore’s Manny Machado last Tuesday.

White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon (2-5, 4.41) takes the mound after being pushed back from a scheduled start last Thursday (sore neck.) Rodon played catch in the outfield before Saturday’s game.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Avila hit two of Chicago’s season-high four home runs and the struggling White Sox beat Kansas City 7-5 on Friday night to give a shaky Chris Sale his major league-leading 10th win and the Royals their eight straight loss.

The defending champions matched their longest losing streak since May 2013, while the White Sox opened the weekend series with their second straight win after dropping 20 of 26.

Sale (10-2) pitched into the seventh and got the victory despite giving up a season-high three home runs — two solo drives to Eric Hosmer and one to Salvador Perez. But the White Sox also used the long ball to come out on top after beating Washington the previous night.

Avila came through with his first two homers since signing with Chicago in the offseason. He hit back-to-back solo drives with Brett Lawrie in the fourth and added a two-run shot in the sixth off Ian Kennedy (4-5) to make it 7-3.

Melky Cabrera also homered for Chicago.

Top prospect Tim Anderson added two hits for Chicago in his major league debut, including a double in his first at-bat, and scored a run. The promising shortstop was called up before the game to replace veteran Jimmy Rollins, who was designated for assignment.

Those moves came a day after the White Sox let pitcher Mat Latos go and signed former AL MVP Justin Morneau — and less than a week after they acquired starter James Shields from San Diego.

Sale got the win after going 0-2 in his previous three starts even though he gave up 11 hits. He struck out eight and walked one.

Sale exited with a 7-4 lead and runners on first and third after Alcides Escobar’s RBI single with none out in the seventh. Hosmer added a sacrifice fly off Dan Jennings in the inning to make it a two-run game. But the White Sox hung on, with David Robertson working the ninth for his 15th save in 17 tries.

Kennedy lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs and nine hits. The right-hander gave up a career-high four homers and dropped to 0-3 in his past six outings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: General manager Rick Hahn said CF Austin Jackson will likely miss at least six weeks because of a medial meniscus tear in his left knee and have surgery next week. Jackson hurt his knee stepping on a base awkwardly during Thursday’s win over Washington. He remained in the game, but an MRI on Friday confirmed the injury. With Jackson on the 15-day DL, Chicago recalled outfielder Jason Coats from Triple-A. … Hahn also said pitchers Jake Petricka (torn labrum in hip) and Daniel Webb (Tommy John elbow surgery) had season-ending operations on Friday.

UP NEXT

LHP Jose Quintana (5-6, 2.58 ERA) looks to get back to winning for Chicago after dropping five consecutive starts, while the Royals are pushing Chris Young back in the rotation and going with LHP Danny Duffy (1-1, 3.35) instead.

— Associated Press —