CHICAGO (AP) — David Ross did just fine when he swung away.

After failing to execute a safety-squeeze in the ninth inning, Ross hit an RBI single with one out in the 11th inning Sunday that lifted the Chicago Cubs over the Kansas City Royals 2-1.

“I’m playing the game out in my head. I knew what was coming the first time and I didn’t get the bunt down, but luckily I drove that ball into the gap right there at the end,” Ross said with a smile.

The Cubs and Royals split the abbreviated two-game series. Saturday’s game was rained out and will be made up at Wrigley Field during the last week of the regular season.

Ross delivered the fifth game-ending hit of his career, a bases-loaded single just beyond the reach of shortstop Alcides Escobar, who tried to make a sliding, over-the-shoulder catch.

With runners on second and third, the Royals intentionally walked Starlin Castro to load the bases.

“I knew when they got to second and third, I knew they were going to walk Starlin. I’m batting a buck-60 or something, I would do the same thing.”

Despite the lack of power put on the ball, it was perfectly placed.

“Based on the configuration of the defense, you couldn’t have thrown the ball any better to end the ballgame,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

The ball was just out of the range of left fielder Alex Gordon.

“The ball was just dying. He (Escobar) looked at me, I know I didn’t call it, so he went after it and that was that,” Gordon said.

Earlier in the inning, Dexter Fowler was thrown out at the plate by Gordon when he tried to score on a single.

It was 47 degrees at gametime with the wind blowing in. The crowd included many Royals fans who made up the announced attendance of 37,766.

“It was a great game. The conditions were tough. You knew offense was going to come at a premium,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Zac Rosscup (2-1) struck out Salvador Perez with runners on first and third with two outs in the 11th.

Ryan Madson (0-1) walked Fowler and Kris Bryant to begin the 11th. Jason Frasor relieved and Anthony Rizzo blooped a single, with a video replay confirming Fowler was out at the plate.

Royals reliever Wade Davis pitched out of a jam in the ninth. Rizzo tripled with one out and Castro was intentionally walked. Ross then bunted back to Davis, who held Rizzo at third base and got the out at first. Davis struck out Jorge Soler to end the inning.

Royals starter Yordano Ventura pitched seven innings, allowing one run and four hits. It was his fourth straight outing that he pitched seven innings. He struck out six and walked one.

“He just had everything going. He had a really good curveball, was throwing strikes with his fastball and mixed in some straight changeups,” Yost said.

Chris Coghlan had three hits off Ventura, including an RBI single in the seventh.

Cubs starter Tsuyoshi Wada pitched into the sixth. Recently demoted starter Travis Wood gave up an RBI single to Gordon.

Maddon though it was the right time to get Wada.

“If he goes 1, 2, 3 there, beautiful. I took the walk as a sign that maybe that was the Waterloo moment right there,” Maddon said. “From my perspective I’m seeing a little bit of laboring.”

Before the game, there was a moment of silence for Lennie Merullo. He died Saturday at 98 and was the oldest former Cubs player, and the last living member of their 1945 World Series team.

The Cubs and the Royals both wore 1915 throwback uniforms. The Cubs wore Chicago Whales uniforms and the Royals broke out the Kansas City Packers threads.

UP NEXT

Royals: Start a six-game homestand vs. the Indians on Tuesday. Jeremy Guthrie (4-3) is scheduled to make his 10th start of the season. He will try to bounce back from his worst outing of his career when he gave up 11 runs on nine hits, three walks in one-plus inning against the Yankees on May 25.

Cubs: Begin a nine-game road trip in Miami on Monday. Jason Hammel (3-2) is the scheduled starter. In eight games against Miami, he is 1/3 with a 4.86 ERA.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Alex Rios returned to the lineup after breaking his left hand on April 13. He was 0 for 4 and played right field. … Eric Hosmer, who got some rest from the field, pinch-hit in the 10th inning and walked.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals were sailing along with a three-run lead.

In a flash, they lost it. Then, they regrouped for a win they sorely needed.

Lorenzo Cain hit a tiebreaking RBI double and scored in a three-run eighth inning, and the Royals beat the Chicago Cubs 8-4 Friday to snap a four-game losing streak.

Alcides Escobar homered on the game’s first pitch. Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez also went deep, and the Royals came out on top after squandering a 4-1 lead.

“It feels like a new day,” said Eric Hosmer, who had an RBI double.

Mike Moustakas walked leading off the eighth against Pedro Strop (1-3). Cain, who had three hits, then drove him in with a double to the base of the wall in right-center, and the Royals scored two more thanks to an error by center fielder Dexter Fowler with two out and Justin Grimm pitching.

Fowler dropped Omar Infante’s liner trying to make a shoestring catch with runners on first and second, then fell trying to pick up the ball. Cain and Hosmer scored, making it 7-4, and the Royals got back to winning after a three-game sweep by the Yankees in New York.

Edinson Volquez was making it look easy before Chicago’s Jorge Soler chased him with a two-run homer with two out in the sixth. He connected on a 3-0 pitch, making it 4-3.

Kelvin Herrera (1-1) gave up a tying solo drive to Addison Russell in the seventh but picked up the win. Wade Davis struck out the side in the eighth and Greg Holland worked the ninth.

“We played well today,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “We had them on the ropes. They showed why they went to the World Series last year. We showed why we’re not ready yet.”

Volquez was in line to win his third straight start before the late rally. The right-hander allowed three runs and six hits, struck out a season-high nine and walked one.

Jake Arrieta lasted seven innings, allowing four runs and eight hits. He struck out five without a walk.

Kansas City, making its first appearance at Wrigley Field since 2001, wasted no time jumping ahead in this one.

Outscored 29-5 over the previous four games, the Royals immediately grabbed the lead when Escobar drove the first pitch to the bleachers in left-center for his second home run. It was also his second career leadoff homer, both coming this season.

“We needed to have this win today,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We didn’t want to take the five in a row. That’s a much improved club over there. They’ve really got some nice young talented players.”

SVEUM BACK

Royals hitting coach Dale Sveum was back at Wrigley Field for the first time since he was fired as Cubs manager following the 2013 season. The ballpark, in the early stage of an overhaul, is looking different, with two large new video boards and new bleachers in the outfield. “It’s a little way from what you’re used to, but in the long run I think it’s going to be all right,” he said.

STINGY WITH HOMERS

Russell’s homer was the second allowed by Herrera this season after he went 105 1/3 innings without allowing one. Cleveland’s Lonnie Chisenhall connected against him on May 5.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Alex Rios is expected to return to the Royals’ lineup Saturday after being sidelined by a broken left hand since April 13 when he was hit by a pitch from Minnesota’s J.R. Graham.

Cubs: The Cubs pushed RHP Jason Hammel’s start back a day to Sunday to give him some extra rest. Manager Joe Maddon said he is fine.

UP NEXT

RHP Yordano Ventura (3-4, 4.64) starts for Kansas City, with LHP Tsuyoshi Wada making his third start for Chicago since returning from a strained left groin.

— Associated Press —