DETROIT (AP) — This time, the Kansas City Royals had enough hitting and pitching.

Ian Kennedy pitched three-run ball into the eighth inning, and the Royals stopped a five-game slide by holding off the Detroit Tigers for a 4-3 win on Friday night.

Alex Gordon had three hits for the Royals, who hit four homers in 11-8 loss in the series opener. Rosell Herrera had two hits and drove in a run.

“We made a couple mistakes on 0-2 pitches, and they cost us runs,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Other than that, our pitching was fantastic.”

The sloppy Tigers committed three errors while losing for the eighth time in 11 games.

“We just played terrible baseball,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We made errors and we made bad decisions.”

Kennedy (3-8) won his second straight start, permitting two earned runs and seven hits in seven-plus innings. He struck out six and walked none.

“I’ve been executing in the last three games — that’s literally the only thing that has changed,” Kennedy said. “I’m throwing good pitches, and in meaningful spots, I’m throwing strikes.”

Wily Peralta worked a shaky ninth for his 12th save. Ronny Rodriguez led off with an infield single, but James McCann bunted into a 1-6 forceout at second.

“Wily’s more athletic than he looks,” Yost said. “He bounded off the mound and made a great throw to second.”

Jeimer Candelario then drew a pinch-hit walk before Peralta struck out Dawel Lugo and Jim Adduci.

Detroit left-hander Francisco Liriano (5-11) was charged with four runs, one earned, and six hits in six innings. He has a 1.88 ERA in his last four starts.

Kansas City jumped in front on Detroit’s first defensive mistake. With one out in the first, Adalberto Mondesi singled and took off on a 1-1 pitch to Gordon.

Gordon looped a single to shallow left, and Mondesi took a big turn at third and kept going when rookie Christin Stewart lobbed the ball into second.

“I kept my head up on the play, and I’m always looking to make a play,” Mondesi said. “When I saw he was going to make the short throw, I went hard.”

Stewart, a hitting prospect not known for solid defense, was making his 12th major league appearance.

“That will be a learning experience for the kid,” Gardenhire said. “He’s got to be quicker getting to the ball, and he’s got to get rid of it. If he makes a faster play and hits the cut-off man, everything is fine.”

Gordon added an RBI single in the third, and the Royals scored two more runs in the fourth, aided by errors by first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Stewart.

“We’re going to be working on defense a lot in spring training,” Gardenhire said. “We’ll have our whole group together and we’re going to improve some of these things.”

Rodriguez homered in the fifth for the Tigers, and Nicholas Castellanos doubled home a run in the sixth.

Kennedy left after Pete Kozma reached on an error, and Castellanos made it 4-3 with a two-out double off Kevin McCarthy. Victor Martinez, playing in his next-to-last major league game, grounded out to first to end the inning.

Martinez received an ovation before the at-bat.

“I wish I could have gotten a hit there for the fans,” he said. “They are like a family to me. Families fight, and there have been some times when they let us know we weren’t playing well, but they are always here for us.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: With INFs Niko Goodrum (quad) and Candelario (back) still bothered by injuries, Harold Castro was promoted from Triple-A Toledo. Castro hadn’t arrived by game time, and the Tigers ended up with Saltalamacchia playing first base for the first time since 2016.

ETIQUETTE QUESTION

In the eighth inning, McCarthy rode in on the Comerica Park bullpen cart and didn’t know what to do at the end of the ride.

“I had never done that before, so I wasn’t sure if I should tip the driver,” he said.

ONE MORE GAME FOR MARTINEZ

Martinez announced before Friday’s game he will finish his 16-season career on Saturday against the Royals. Martinez will sit out Sunday’s series finale and accompany the team on its final road trip without playing.

“I feel like I owe it to the fans to have my final at-bats here,” said Martinez, who will be honored in a pregame ceremony.

UP NEXT

The teams play the third game of their series on Saturday night, with Detroit’s Jordan Zimmermann (7-8, 4.41 ERA) facing Jakob Junis (8-12, 4.42 ERA).

— Associated Press —

DETROIT (AP) — Christin Stewart hit his first two big-league homers and drove in six runs Thursday night, leading the Detroit Tigers past the Kansas City Royals 11-8.

Stewart, a September call-up playing in his 11th game, became the first Tigers rookie to drive in six runs in a game since Ryan Raburn had seven against the Chicago White Sox on July 25, 2007.

Six Tigers had at least two hits and Detroit snapped a seven-game home losing streak. Kansas City has lost five in a row.

The Tigers led 9-5 after two innings as the teams combined for five home runs, six doubles, a triple and a double steal. By that point, both starting pitchers were gone. Detroit’s Matthew Boyd allowed five runs while getting four outs. Kansas City’s Jorge Lopez (2-5) gave up seven runs without getting an out in the second.

Zac Reininger (1-0), the second of seven Detroit pitchers, picked up his first major-league victory.

Jorge Bonifacio gave the Royals the lead with a three-run homer off Boyd in the first, but the Tigers came back with four in the bottom of the inning. Stewart hit a two-run homer to right and Nicholas Castellanos hit the next pitch to nearly same spot.

Grayson Greiner made it 4-3 with a sacrifice fly later in the inning, and the runs kept coming in the second. Brian Goodwin gave the Royals a 5-4 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the inning, but Stewart made it five RBI in two innings with a three-run home run in the Tigers’ second.

Glenn Sparkman replaced Lopez and gave up a triple to Castellanos and Victor Martinez’s RBI double before getting the first out of the second inning. Greiner picked up his second RBI with a two-out single, giving the Tigers a 9-5 lead.

Hunter Dozier hit a two-run homer off Reininger in the fourth, pulling the Royals within 9-7, but the next four relievers combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings as Detroit maintained the lead into the ninth inning.

Stewart walked with the bases loaded in the seventh inning for his sixth RBI.

Adalberto Mondesi homered off Shane Greene in the ninth to make it 11-8.

V-MART KEEPS HIS RECORD

In the first inning, Victor Martinez lined a ball into the right-center field gap — the perfect place for a triple at spacious Comerica Park — but his lack of speed turned it into a double. With nine games left in his final season, Martinez has 3,937 plate appearances for the Tigers without hitting a triple, the most in franchise history. Aaron Robinson is second with 868.

UP NEXT

The teams continue their four-game series on Friday night, with Ian Kennedy (2-8, 4.73) starting against Detroit’s Francisco Liriano (5-10, 4.54).

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Archer pitched seven strong innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates completed a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 2-1 win on Wednesday night.

In his most impressive start since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on July 31, Archer (5-8) allowed one run on six hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. The right-hander made it out of the sixth inning for the first time in nine starts for the Pirates, who traded for him in hopes of making a playoff run.

The Pirates remain marooned in fourth place in the NL Central despite a five-game winning streak that’s moved them three games over .500.

Felipe Vazquez allowed one walk in the ninth but earned his 35th save one day after he let a 1-0 lead slip away — his fifth blown save of the season. The Pirates went on to win 2-1 in 11 innings on Tuesday night.

Adam Frazier broke a 1-1 tie with a homer to right-center with two outs in the fifth inning off rookie right-hander Heath Fillmyer (3-2). It was Frazier’s ninth homer of the season, and it came two days after he fouled a ball off his knee.

The injury held Frazier out of the starting lineup Tuesday, although he entered in the ninth and played the final three innings. He started Wednesday at second base.

Fillmyer allowed two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in seven innings for Kansas City, which has lost four straight after winning five of six.

Colin Moran put the Pirates on the board first with a single to left that scored Corey Dickerson, who was 2 for 3 with two doubles, in the second inning. Adalberto Mondesi tied it with a homer to center, his 10th, in the third.

LINEUP CHANGE

Royals: OF Jorge Bonifacio was taken out of the starting lineup after going 0 for 4 with four strikeouts and one walk Tuesday. He entered as a pinch-hitter in the ninth and drew a walk.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: RHP Chad Kuhl underwent elbow surgery on Wednesday. No further details regarding the operation were provided. Kuhl was re-examined by Dr. David Altchek in New York on Tuesday. He last pitched on June 26.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jorge Lopez (2-4, 3.93 ERA) is expected to start against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. He left Kansas City’s game against the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 14 with a left rib contusion sustained in a collision with 3B Hunter Dozier.

Pirates: RHP Ivan Nova (9-9, 4.07) takes the mound against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. In his past two starts, Nova has allowed one run on seven hits over 12 innings with 13 strikeouts and two walks.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pinch-hitter Ryan Lavarnway drove in the winning run with a single in the 11th inning, Jameson Taillon struck out a career-high 11 and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Tuesday night.

It was just the second at-bat of the season for the 30-year-old Lavarnway, the Pirates’ fourth-string catcher. He hit .288 in 77 games in with Triple-A Indianapolis. Lavarnway has played 142 career games with five teams.

Starling Marte led off the 11th with an infield single off Burch Smith (1-6). Josh Bell walked and Burch struck out Francisco Cervelli before Adam Frazier was intentionally walked to load the bases, setting up Lavarnway’s walk-off hit to shallow center.

Pinch-hitter Hunter Dozier tied the game in the ninth with a double off Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez that scored Jorge Bonifacio. Left fielder Corey Dickerson threw to shortstop Jordy Mercer, who relayed home to throw out Salvador Perez and preserve the tie.

Vazquez had not blown a save since May 31, a string of 24 consecutive opportunities converted.

Taillon threw seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk. His previous career high in strikeouts was 10, set on July 12.

Kyle Crick (3-2) retired the side on 10 pitches in the 11th to earn the win.

Colin Moran had a pinch-hit home run with two outs in the seventh inning, his 10th homer this season.

It looked like the Royals might get to Taillon in the top of the seventh. With runners on second and third, Brian Goodwin hit a flyball to right fielder Pablo Reyes, who threw out Ryan O’Hearn at the plate.

Eric Skoglund allowed three hits and struck out two in six innings, his first start this season in which he did not allow a run.

The Pirates improved to 14-5 in interleague play, the second-best record in the majors behind the Boston Red Sox.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: Frazier did not start but said he was “fine” after fouling a ball off his right knee and leaving Monday’s game with discomfort. He grounded into a fielder’s choice in the ninth and remained in the game in left field. … C Elias Diaz (hamstring) made his first appearance since Aug. 31. He walked as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.

Royals: Perez was a late scratch with a recurrence of a nagging left thumb injury. He singled in the ninth. … RHP Jorge Lopez (bruised rib) has still not thrown a between-starts bullpen session. His next turn in the rotation is Thursday against Detroit. The team has not announced a probable pitcher.

UP NEXT

Royals: Heath Fillmyer (3-1, 4.76 ERA) is scheduled to start the series finale Wednesday. The rookie allowed 10 runs over his previous two starts.

Pirates: Chris Archer (4-8, 4.66 ERA) has lost three straight decisions and is 1-4 with a 5.19 ERA since returning from an abdominal injury in early July.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie Jacob Stallings hit a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning to rally the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

After Jordan Luplow grounded into a double play, Kevin Kramer walked and moved to second on Kevin Newman’s single. Stallings then singled into left field off Ben Lively (0-3), scoring Kramer.

It was Stallings’ second career game-ending hit. The catcher also had one in 2016.

The Pirates scored twice with two outs in the eighth inning to tie the game at 6-all. The first run scored when first baseman Ryan O’Hearn failed to handle a throw from third baseman Hunter Dozier on a grounder by Pablo Reyes. Starling Marte followed with an RBI triple.

Newman had three of Pittsburgh’s 15 hits, and the rookie shortstop extended his hitting streak to six games as the Pirates won for the ninth time in 12 games.

Edgar Santana (3-3) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

O’Hearn’s 11th home run in 36 games since making his debut July 31 led off the top of the eighth and gave the Royals a two-run lead.

Bell drew Pittsburgh to 5-4 in the seventh with a run-scoring single.

O’Hearn’s RBI double capped a four-run fifth inning and put the Royals on top 5-3. That followed consecutive run-scoring singles by Adalberto Mondesi, Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez.

Gordon doubled in the game’s first run in top of the third inning, and Corey Dickerson countered with an RBI single in the bottom half. Frazier’s two-run single in the fourth gave the Pirates a short-lived 3-1 lead.

Kansas City’s Brad Keller allowed four runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings. Pittsburgh’s Joe Musgrove also pitched six innings, giving up five runs and eight hits.

Keller got his first major league hit when he singled off Musgrove to lead off the fifth inning. It came in Keller’s second career at-bat after he struck out in the second.

O’Hearn’s homer to right field off Steven Brault was the first allowed by the left-hander in 117 career plate appearances against left-handed batters.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: 2B Frazier (right knee discomfort) left for a pinch-runner immediately after hitting his double. . C Francisco Cervelli (flu-like symptoms) was scratched from the original lineup. . C Elias Diaz (strained right hamstring) has been cleared to play after sitting out since Aug. 31. . Pitching coach Ray Searage underwent cervical surgery and assistant pitching coach Justin Meccage is taking his place.

AND 31 YEARS LATER . . .

Royals 2B Whit Merrifield played his first game in Pittsburgh. Merrifield’s father, Bill, was called up by the Pirates for one day late in the 1987 season then sent to instructional league to make the conversion from third baseman to first baseman.

Bill Merrifield did not appear in a game and never returned to the major leagues.

REMEMBERING MAC

A moment of silence was held for rapper/singer Mac Miller, who died last week. Miller was a Pittsburgh native and Pirates’ fan.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Eric Skoglund (1-5, 6.19) makes his third appearance and second start Tuesday night. He had been sidelined from May 26-Sept. 6 with a sprained ligament in his left elbow.

Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (13-9, 3.37) has allowed three earned runs or less in 19 straight starts.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — There was little for Tyler Austin to be upset about as he headed to the bus on Sunday.

The Twins’ first baseman had hit one of their four home runs in a 9-6 win over the Kansas City Royals. He had escaped unscathed after making a spectacular catch while flipping into the dugout down the first-base line and, perhaps most importantly, he didn’t have to dress up in one of the ridiculous horse-and-jockey costumes that were awaiting his rookie teammates in their locker.

Instead, Austin was able to enjoy all of it — right down to the rookie hazing ritual — after the Twins managed to avoid a four-game sweep and an ignominious start to their final trip this season.

Max Kepler, Johnny Field and Jorge Polanco also went deep for the Twins, who had a season-high 18 hits and got a gritty effort by Kyle Gibson (8-13) to cool off the red-hot Royals.

“You always have something to play for,” said Gibson, who lasted into the seventh to end a four-start losing streak, despite allowing five runs and 11 hits. “When teams start giving up and throwing it in, they’re only doing disrespecting those around you.”

So that’s why Austin was willing to go head-over-heels into an empty dugout, and while the rest of the Twins were there to pick him right back up with a pat on his back.

“I don’t think he cares where fences are,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He kind of caught it as he got there and unfortunately there were no people there. He took a pretty hard fall but he’s OK.”

Jerry Vasto (0-1) allowed one run on three hits to take the loss in relief.

Ryan O’Hearn and Rosell Herrera staked Kansas City to a 2-0 lead with back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the first, but Minnesota slowly chipped away in building a 5-2 lead in the fourth.

Polanco began the comeback with an RBI single, but it was Kepler’s homer off Jakob Junis — on the pitcher’s 26th birthday, no less — and back-to-back shots by Austin and Field that turned the game.

It was the sixth time Minnesota has gone back-to-back this season.

Brian Goodwin answered for Kansas City with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, and two-run shot by Adalberto Mondesi in the fifth allowed Kansas City to pull even again. But Polanco’s homer off Brian Flynn leading off the sixth gave Minnesota the lead back for good.

“It was a good homestand. I’m glad we’re playing better for our fans,” said Royals manager Ned Yost, whose club has won five straight series. “We haven’t given them much to cheer for all summer long, yet they still cheer for us. So, to have some success here at the end of the season makes me feel a little bit better.”

RIDER UP

The Twins rookies poured out of the dugout long after the final pitch and proceeded to run around Kauffman Stadium in what Gibson dubbed the Kentucky Derby. They’ll have to don their costumes again to run the Preakness after their final game in Detroit, then do it one more time to run the Belmont Stakes when they conclude their final road series in Oakland next weekend.

EWW, GROSS

Twins pitcher Zack Littell left Saturday’s game after developing blood blister on a finger of his pitching hand. “It’s good,” he said before Sunday’s game. “Came in this morning and let them drain it again. Letting it dry up and then take a day or two off catch, then get back at it.”

EASY WITH EDDIE

Eddie Rosario (hamstring) was the DH on Sunday, and Twins manager Paul Molitor said he’s being cautious with putting him back in the outfield. “I’m hoping he gets there. I don’t think he’s feeling that risk is worthwhile,” Molitor said. “As it’s going, I’m getting him in there most days as DH.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: C Mitch Garver (concussion) was feeling better Sunday, though it’s still unclear when he will be cleared to play. “He’s got more energy,” Molitor said. “There’s signs he’s getting it behind him.” … 3B Miguel Sano (bruised leg) missed his 10th straight game. “He said he’s doing better,” Molitor said. “He told me he wanted to try to play sometime in the Detroit series.”

Royals: 1B/3B Hunter Dozier (back) was out of the lineup against Sunday. He’s been in and out of the lineup for the past week. O’Hearn started at 1B and Alcides Escobar at 3B on Sunday.

UP NEXT

The Twins continue their 10-game trip when they visit Detroit for three games beginning Monday night. The Royals’ final road trip also begins Monday night, when RHP Brad Keller (8-6, 3.04) is on the mound for the first of three games in Pittsburgh.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ian Kennedy, Alex Gordon and the rest of the Royals’ veterans have been watching as their talented young teammates delivered win after win during a surprising late-season surge.

They finally got a piece of the action Saturday night.

Kennedy pitched six innings to earn his first win since the first week of April, Gordon drove in five runs, and the Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 10-3 for their fifth win in six games.

Another of the old guard, Alcides Escobar, had three RBI while finishing a homer shy of the cycle, and Cam Gallagher ended a 0-for-14 skid with a career-best four hits, in a blowout that set Kansas City up for a shot at a four-game sweep of its AL Central rivals on Sunday.

“We’re not looking at it like that. We feel like we’re a quality team that’s playing well right now,” Gordon said. “Whether you’re young or old, it doesn’t really matter.”

Kennedy (2-8) allowed six hits while striking out four in his second start since a two-month stint on the disabled list. The right-hander allowed only Ehire Adrianza’s RBI single in the second and Logan Forsythe’s run-scoring hit in the fifth to earn his second home win in two years.

“I just knew it had been a long time,” said Kennedy, who ended a 17-start winless streak with his first since April 7. “It was the first win since last September that I got at home. I did know that.”

Gordon had an RBI groundout in the first, a two-run double in the fourth and another two-run double in the sixth. He finished one RBI shy of his career best, set against Baltimore on May 18, 2014.

“He had some fantastic at-bats,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “His focus has been beating the shift and I told him he was like Rod Carew tonight, peppering it down the left-field line.”

Most of the damage came against Chase De Jong (0-1), who was pounded for five runs — three earned — on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. It was a far different from his start against the Royals last week, when De Jong allowed one hit over four scoreless innings in a game the Twins won 3-1.

This time, Kansas City jumped out to a 2-1 lead before a four-run fourth provided a comfortable cushion. Escobar started the scoring with an RBI triple, then scored when he was caught in a run-down and the throw toward home hit him in the back and bounced away.

Twins skipper Paul Molitor and third base coach Gene Glynn took exception with the umpiring on the play, and both earned their second ejections of the season. That meant they weren’t around to see Gordon add a two-run double later in the inning and give Kansas City a 6-2 advantage.

The Royals’ longtime outfielder hit his second two-run double a couple innings later, his third hit of the night, before grounding out in his final at-bat.

“It was nice. I’m proud of the way Alex has continued to battle back,” Yost said. “He had a rough year last year. He’s worked hard and it’s paying off for him.”

ON THE TOSS

Molitor said he came out to question whether Gallagher had squared to bunt on a suicide-squeeze in the fourth inning, when he got ejected. “We didn’t execute the play and that was probably what had my emotion kind of high anyway,” he said. “They were giving us an out there and take a runner out of scoring position and we can’t execute. So, I didn’t bother to look at it. We didn’t get the call. I wasn’t happy at the time. I stepped out of the dugout, which you can’t do on a ball-and-strike call, which is why I got tossed as quickly as I did.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: C Mitch Garver (concussion) did some light cardio Saturday after his team sent him back to the hotel the previous night. Garver took a foul ball off his mask Wednesday, and he began to feel the effects of a concussion taking batting practice Friday. “He’s not doing as well as we had hoped,” Molitor said. “We are labeling it in the concussion category. And with all concussions kind of being unique in themselves, we’ll just have to see how he progresses.”

Royals: RHP Jorge Lopez (bruised ribs) had an MRI exam that came back clean, and Yost said he’s day-to-day. Jopez left in the fifth inning of Friday night’s game. He fell three outs shy of a perfect game his previous start last Saturday at Minnesota.

UP NEXT

Royals RHP Jakob Junis (8-12, 4.28 ERA) tries to keep his hot streak going in the series finale against RHP Kyle Gibson (7-13, 3.67) and the Twins. Junis has a 2.83 ERA over 10 starts since returning from the disabled list on July 21, and has 58 strikeouts in 60 innings.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez capped Kansas City’s five-run ninth inning with a game-ending grand slam, lifting the Royals to an 8-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.

Rosell Herrera sparked the winning rally with a one-out double off Trevor Hildenberger (4-4), who took over as Minnesota’s closer after Fernando Rodney was traded to Oakland last month. Whit Merrifield followed with an RBI single and advanced to third on Adalberto Mondesi’s base hit.

Manager Paul Molitor then put in Logan Forsythe, giving the Twins five infielders, and Alex Gordon was intentionally walked to load the bases. But Perez thwarted the strategy with a drive to center for his 26th homer.

The Twins’ loss lowered Cleveland’s magic number for clinching the AL Central title to one.

Perez also had an RBI single in the first inning and Mondesi connected for his eighth homer in the seventh. Jason Hammel (3-13) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.

Robbie Grossman and Willians Astudillo each had three hits for Minnesota, which also dropped the opener of the four-game set on Thursday.

Joe Mauer had a run-scoring double in the Twins’ three-run fifth, and Astudillo made it 4-2 when he singled in Grossman in the seventh.

But Mondesi went deep in the bottom half of the inning and the Royals nearly tied it in the eighth. Ryan O’Hearn tried to score from first on Jorge Bonifacio’s two-out double, but Astudillo made a diving tag to get him at the plate.

Minnesota wasted a solid start by Jose Berrios, who struck out nine while pitching six innings of two-run ball.

Kansas City right-hander Jorge Lopez was charged with three runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He departed with a left rib contusion, but it’s unclear when the injury occurred.

WORTH NOTING

Mauer’s double was his 598th extra-base hit, breaking a tie with Tony Oliva for fourth place on the Twins’ career list. He trails only Harmon Killebrew (728), Kirby Puckett (687) and Kent Hrbek (623).

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Lopez will be re-evaluated by the team training staff.

Twins: C Mitch Garver (head) remained sidelined for a second straight game while he awaits clearance from the training staff after taking a foul ball off the facemask, but he did hit in the cage before Friday’s game. “I think that’s another step forward today,” manager Paul Molitor said. … 3B Miguel Sano (lower left leg) was expected to work in the batting cage for a second consecutive day, but he remains out indefinitely.

UP NEXT

Royals RHP Ian Kennedy (1-8, 4.92 ERA) will make his second start since returning from the disabled list and second straight start against the Twins, who send RHP Chase De Jong (0-0, 0.00) to the mound for his second appearance since a July 30 trade with the Seattle Mariners.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brad Keller pitched seven strong innings to win for the fourth time in six starts, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 6-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Whit Merrifield had two hits, two RBI, and scored two runs for the Royals. He also stole two bases to increase his American League lead to 33 steals, including a league-best 12 of third base.

Keller (8-6) gave up one run and four hits and two walks while striking out six. He is 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA in his last six starts, lowering his ERA to 3.04 — leading all AL rookies.

Wily Peralta picked up his 10th save in 10 chances, despite walking two in 1/3 of an inning.

The Royals have won a season-high seven straight at home — and 10 of 11. After starting 11-35 at home before the All-Star break, the Royals are 16-10 since the break. They need to win three of their final nine games to avoid tying the franchise’s worst home record (1998).

Dylan Covey (5-13) allowed six runs — five earned — and six hits in 4 1/3 innings for the White Sox. He walked three and struck out four. He is now 0-6 with a 9.00 ERA in his last six starts. Over his last 11 outings, he’s 1-9 with an 8.59 ERA.

Covey has struggled against the Royals, falling to 0-7 with a 6.37 ERA in nine career starts.

The White Sox scored a run in the third when Avasail Garcia beat out an infield single, scoring Yolmer Sanchez from third. Garcia rolled it sharply to short, but Adalberto Mondesi appeared to take too long to release the throw to first.

Mondesi made up for his gaffe with an RBI single as part of a three-run third for Kansas City. Merrifield blooped a single to short right field, scoring Brian Goodwin. Mondesi followed with a bunt single that scored Rosell Herrera. A bad throw by catcher Welington Castillo sent Merrifield to third. He scored on Alex Gordon’s sacrifice fly to the wall in right.

The Royals added another run in the fourth. Ryan O’Hearn led off with a triple down the right-field line and scored on Jorge Bonifacio’s ground-rule double to make it 4-1.

Hunter Dozier had a two-run single in the sixth to give the Royals a five-run lead.

The White Sox pulled within three in the ninth against Royals relievers, with Tim Anderson driving in Ryan LaMarre with a single and Yoan Moncada scoring Jose Rondon on a bases-loaded walk.

JONES RETURNS

Prior to Tuesday’s game, the White Sox returned RHP Nate Jones from his rehab assignment with Class A Winston-Salem, and reinstated him from the 60-day disabled list. He was placed on the disabled list June 13 with a pronator muscle strain in his right arm. He’s 2-2 and a 2.55 ERA in 27 relief appearances. Jones pitched a scoreless seventh inning against the Royals.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: OF Leury Garcia remains on the disabled list with a grade-2 left hamstring. “Doing better,” manager Rick Renteria said. “(He’s getting) a little more activity. He’s still feeling some soreness, some tightness when he’s doing certain things. We’re just going to try to make sure that upon or before his return he’s comfortable and everything’s clear. Hopefully that’s coming sooner rather than later, but we’re going to make sure that he’s feeling good.”

Royals: OF Brett Phillips, who has been out since suffering a right shoulder contusion last Wednesday in Cleveland, continues to improve, according to manager Ned Yost. Phillips took 30 more swings off the tee Tuesday. “I still don’t have a definite date (for his return),” Yost said before the game. “But he’s getting closer. I watched him play catch today. That’s going to be a big hurdle. His arm is one of his prized possessions. Once he can get back to throwing with some accuracy and force behind it, he’ll be close.”

UP NEXT

White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon (6-5, 3.11 ERA) will face Royals LHP Eric Skoglund (1-5, 6.45). Rodon has lost his two starts in September after the Sox won all five of his August starts (he was 3-0 in those starts). Skoglund missed more than three months of the season (86 games) with a strained left UCL. He has pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen since his return. He made five rehab starts, going 0-1 with a 3.54 ERA with three different minor league affiliates.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — White Sox reliever Jeanmar Gomez threw away a bunt in the 10th inning Monday night, giving the Kansas City Royals a 4-3 win over Chicago.

Brian Goodwin led off the Royals 10th with a sharp double. Alcides Escobar then bunted and Gomez (0-2) made a wild toss over third baseman Yolmer Sanchez, letting Goodwin score.

Jake Newberry (2-0) pitched one inning.

Whit Merrifield homered on the first pitch from White Sox starter Lucas Giolito. Ryan O’Hearn hit a solo homer in the sixth that made it 3-all — he connected against Chicago in his big league debut on July 31, and now has 10 home runs in 30 games.

Adam Engel and Daniel Palka each homered in the Chicago third against Jakob Junis.

Jose Abreu, activated from the disabled list prior to the game, had three hits for the White Sox. He was put on the DL on Aug. 22 following surgery for testicular torsion.

Junis went eight innings, allowing seven hits. He faced the minimum after giving up Palka’s homer, and has a 2.15 ERA in his last seven starts.

Giolito pitched seven innings for his fifth quality start in his last six outings.

Merrifield hit his third leadoff homer this season and the Royals added another run in the second after a couple of unusual plays.

With a runner on second, Goodwin hit a slow dribbler up the third base line that appeared to be headed foul, but Sanchez touched the ball in fair territory and resulted in an infield hit. Alcides Escobar followed with a blooper to right field, and a run scored while Goodwin was thrown out at second.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: RHP Nate Jones is close to returning from the 60-day disabled list. He has been on the DL since June 24 with a muscle strain in his arm.

Royals: Manager Ned Yost said that RHP Ian Kennedy has only the “normal pitching soreness” following his first appearance since June 23. Kennedy went six innings Sunday in Minnesota. He gave up one run on four hits. … OF Brett Phillips, out since Sept. 5 with a bruised shoulder, took 30 swings off the tee. He said he can swing without pain, but the follow-through causes him to tighten up. There is no timetable for his return.

— Associated Press —