KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jorge Bonifacio and Jake Junis are auditioning for 2018 jobs.

Bonifacio hit a three-run homer with two outs in the sixth inning to help the Kansas City Royals to a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

Bonifacio’s homer, his 17th, came off Archie Bradley (3-3) with Paulo Orlando and Ramon Torres aboard.

“I was looking for a fastball,” Bonifacio said. “He throws 97. I was just trying to put the ball in play.”

He said he is unsure if he has established himself to be a starting outfielder for next year.

“I don’t know,” Bonifacio said. “I’ll just come ready for spring training and try to make the team.”

Bradley lost for the first time since July 14, allowing a season-high three runs.

“The greatest part about this is, this isn’t the end of the season for us,” Bradley said. “As much as we want to win and finish strong and finish the season on a high note, this is baseball. You’re going to make bad pitches and guys are going to hit them. For me, it’s just a reminder that I’m not invincible. Guys can hit pitches. Guys are going to hit pitches out of the park.”

Junis (9-3) allowed two runs on five hits, including A.J. Pollock’s home run in the sixth, to pick up the win. The right-hander’s nine victories are tied for the American League lead for rookies.

“I didn’t know that,” Junis said. “That’s pretty special. That’s more than I could ever ask for in my rookie season.”

David Peralta’s fifth-inning double scored Rey Fuentes, who walked and stole second, with the first Diamondbacks’ run.

Arizona right-hander Taijuan Walker was pulled after five innings in his final start before the postseason. He allowed three hits and one run, while striking out six and walking one.

“Felt good, felt strong,” Walker said. “I felt all my pitches were pretty solid today and it’s a good sign moving into the playoffs.”

Mike Moustakas grounded into a double play in the fourth, scoring Lorenzo Cain, for the only run Walker would allow.

Daniel Descalso’s run-producing triple in the eighth off Joakim Soria cut the Royals’ advantage to one run.

Mike Minor worked around a leadoff double in the ninth to collect his sixth save in eight chances. Minor has saves in his past six appearances.

“Mike’s filled that role really nice, really adjusted to it,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He’s got great stuff. We know that, but you can have great stuff and not be a successful closer. You’ve got to have that special composure and competitiveness that he has.”

Zack Godley, who had a 3.40 ERA in 25 starts, made his first relief appearance of the year, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 0 for 3 and finished September with a .175 batting average (14 for 80) to drop his average to .299.

ZACK ON WEDNESDAY

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo made it official, announcing RHP Zack Greinke would start the Wednesday wild-card game against the Rockies. He said Greinke “felt great” after throwing 75 pitches in four-plus innings Friday. “There’s no mystery to it,” Lovullo said. “He’s been our horse all year long. I know he surpassed 200 innings. He’s won 17 games. He’s paced us on days where we needed somebody to pitch a big game. He’s been everything that we’ve needed all year long.”

GREINKE LACKED ROYALS’ VISION

Greinke told the Royals he wanted to be traded after the 2010 season and the club accommodated him by sending him to Milwaukee. Among the players the Royals received in return were SS Alcides Escobar and CF Lorenzo Cain, two integral parts of the Royals’ 2015 World Series championship club. “Zack was a phenomenal player, but Zack didn’t believe we were going to win,” Royals manager Ned Yost said Saturday. “Zack wanted to go somewhere he could win. I kept trying to tell him, `Zack, we’re going to win here. These kids are going to be good.’ But (he said), `I don’t believe it.’ After we won the World Series, I saw him at the Gold Glove banquet and made him tell me he was wrong. He just smiled said, `I was wrong.’ I had a good relationship with Zack. He really wanted to win. He just didn’t have the vision I had.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: C Jeff Mathis (fractured right hand) was activated and started, singling in his first at-bat. He was removed after five innings. . RHP Jimmie Sherfy has not pitched since Sept. 24 because of triceps tightness.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy will have minor surgery Tuesday to remove “loose bodies” in the back of his elbow that caused inflammation and landed him on the disabled list in late August.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: LHP Robbie Ray, who is tied for first in the NL with a 1.79 road ERA, will start the finale.

Royals: LHP Jason Vargas will be going for his 19th win, which would lead the AL.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Daniel Norris threw five scoreless innings to pick up his first victory in more than three months as the Detroit Tigers snapped a season-high nine-game losing streak by beating the Kansas City Royals 4-1 on Thursday night.

Norris (5-8) gave up two hits in five innings. He was 0-4 in four starts and four relief appearances since a June 16 triumph over Tampa Bay.

The Tigers had been outscored 68-39 in their losing streak, which was their longest since dropping nine straight Sept. 1-9, 2005.

Nicholas Castellanos’ fifth-inning double with the bases loaded scored Alex Presley, JaCoby Jones and Dixon Machado. Jones singled home Andrew Romine with the first run of the inning.

Royals left-hander Danny Duffy (9-10) did not make it through the inning. Duffy was charged with four runs, six hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. Duffy, who was the Royals’ opening day starter, finishes the season with a 3.81 ERA in 24 starts.

Paulo Orlando led off the Kansas City sixth with a home run off Warwick Saupold. Orlando has homered in back-to-back games after going 117 at-bats without going deep.

Orlando also doubled in the third and had two of the five Kansas City hits.

Relievers Daniel Stump, Drew VerHagen and Shane Greene held the Royals scoreless over the final three innings. Greene picked up his eighth save in 12 opportunities, but not before giving up a single and a walk.

IT’S A GO FOR ROMINE

With the Twins clinching a playoff berth, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said, “it’s probably going to happen,” that Romine will play all nine positions in the season finale at Minnesota. “I haven’t drawn out a map, and I probably won’t until Saturday,” Ausmus said. “Catcher and pitcher it’ll probably just be one hitter.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: 3B Jeimer Candelario was held out of the lineup with a sore left wrist. The switch-hitting Candelario said it bothers him when he swings right-handed, but not left-handed. . RHP Jeff Ferrell still has not cleared the concussion protocol procedure. He has not pitched since Sept. 18.

Royals: C Salvador Perez left after three innings with left groin tightness. Drew Butera replaced him.

UP NEXT

Tigers: LHP Matthew Boyd will start the series opener at Minnesota. He is 5-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 10 career starts against the Twins. RHP Kyle Gibson will be the Twins starter.

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy, who is winless in a club-record 18 consecutive home starts, will start Friday against the Diamondbacks. RHP Zack Greinke, who began his career with Kansas City, will start for Arizona.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Paulo Orlando sparked the Kansas City Royals with his glove early and his bat late.

Orlando hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, his first of the season, as the Royals rallied from a three-run deficit to beat Detroit 7-4 on Wednesday night, the Tigers’ ninth straight loss.

The centerfielder made a superb running catch in the first inning to rob Nicholas Castellanos of an extra-base hit with two runners on base.

“That was huge,” Royals starter Jason Hammel said. “I thought Nick hit that better, but that’s the friendly confines of The K (Kauffman Stadium) helping out there. You’ve got to hit it pretty well to get it past some of our guys.

“Paulo had a great game tonight overall. He helped me spit the hook there at the end of the game with the two-run homer to put us ahead and the guys added on.”

The Tigers are 4-22 in September and have been outscored 68-30 in the skid. The last time Detroit lost nine in a row was Sept. 1-9, 2005.

“It’s probably more inexperience than anything else,” Tigers lame duck manager Brad Ausmus said. “It’s been tough. We’ve got four wins in the month of September and part of it is we haven’t pitched real well.”

Orlando’s home run was his first since Sept. 19, 2016, going 117 at-bats between long balls.

“Kind of vintage Paulo,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Scott Alexander (5-4), the third Kansas City pitcher, picked up the victory with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Drew VerHagen (0-3) gave up the home run to Orlando with Alcides Escobar, who had tripled, aboard.

The Royals padded their lead with a three-run eighth, which was highlighted by a two-run double by Escobar. Whit Merrifield scored the first run of the inning on a wild pitch by Chad Bell.

Hammel gave up three runs in the first three innings, but after James McCann’s run-producing double in the third, he did not allow another hit. He retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced, giving up three runs and six hits over six innings.

Jeimer Candelario drove in three Detroit runs with singles in the first and third innings and a ground out in the ninth.

Melky Cabrera’s two-out single in the bottom of the third scored Merrifield and Alex Gordon, cutting the Tigers’ lead to 3-2.

Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann was pulled after 84 pitches and six innings, yielding two runs and four hits.

“Obviously, I want to win and everybody in here wants to win,” Zimmermann said. “For me, personally, it was a good start to finish the year.”

Mike Minor got the final two outs for his fourth save in six situations.

CABRERA UPDATE

Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera, who has two herniated discs, said he will get a second opinion Monday in Miami. “I hope I can take care of this in the offseason, come back next year and try to play every day,” he said Wednesday. “I think I need to change a lot of things in the offseason so I can come here in better shape and not be hurt. I don’t want an injection because I don’t want to put a Band-Aid on my injury. There’s no reason to do that. Let’s do all the therapy I have to do and we’ll see.” He said he initially injured his back in spring training, lifting heavy weights. Cabrera is an 11-time All-Star selection and entered this season as a career .321 hitter with 446 HRs and 1,553 RBI. In 130 games this season, he hit .249 with 16 home runs and 60 RBI. “It’s a nightmare,” he said of the season.

ALL NINE ROMINE

Ausmus plans to play Andrew Romine in all nine positions in the Tigers’ finale Sunday at Minnesota. Romine has played every position but catcher in his career. He caught RHPs Anibal Sanchez and Buck Farmer bullpen sessions Wednesday. Sanchez is the probable Sunday starter. “That would be nice,” Romine said. “I’ve caught him plenty of times between innings. And he doesn’t throw 100. That’s the main thing.” The only other players to play all nine defensive positions in a major league game are Bert Campaneris, Kansas City Athletics, Sept. 8, 1965; Cesar Tovar, Minnesota Twins, Sept. 22, 1968; Scott Sheldon, Texas Rangers, Sept. 6, 2000; and Shane Halter, Tigers, Oct. 1, 2000. Halter had four hits, three RBI and scored the winning run against the Twins. “I’m excited, to be part of history,” Romine said. “I’ll be the fifth one here pretty quick.”

TIGERS SIGN PEDRO’S SON

Pedro Martinez Jr., the son of the Hall of Fame pitcher, signed with the Tigers. Unlike his dad, the younger Martinez, who lives in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is a third baseman.

UP NEXT

Tigers: LHP Daniel Norris, who has walked 44 in 96 2/3 innings, will start the series finale.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy will take a 9-9 record into his final start of the year.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Vargas tied for the major league lead with his 18th victory, lifting the Kansas City Royals over the struggling Detroit Tigers 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Vargas (18-10) went six innings to match Cleveland’s Corey Kluber and the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw for most wins in the majors. He gave up a run and five hits, inducing groundball double plays in the second, fourth and fifth innings.

In his first two starts against Detroit, Vargas was 0-2 while allowing 13 runs, including four home runs, in 4 2/3 innings. Vargas had Tommy John surgery in 2015 and only made three starts last year, but he’s now the first Royals pitcher to win 18 games since Kevin Appier in 1993.

The Tigers have lost eight straight and dropped to 4-21 in September. Anibal Sanchez (3-6) allowed two runs in six innings.

Mike Minor got his third save.

— Associated Press —

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge circled the bases for the 50th time this season , breaking Mark McGwire’s major league record for home runs by a rookie, and returned to the Yankees dugout to exchange handshakes, hugs and high-fives with excited teammates.

And then, he walked up the steps and back onto the field.

Embarrassed by the attention, he managed four short waves with his right hand before heading back to the bench just three seconds later.

“They kind of told me: `You got to go out there. You got to go out there,” he would later recall. “First curtain call. I hope it was a good one.”

Judge had his second straight two-homer game in an 11-3 rout of Kansas City on Monday. On an unseasonably warm autumn afternoon, the Yankees won for the 16th time in 22 games during a playoff push that earned no worse than a wild card.

The 6-foot-7, 25-year-old slugger tied McGwire’s 1987 mark with a two-run drive to right-center off Jakob Junis (8-3) in the third inning that put New York ahead 3-0, driving a 93 mph high fastball 389 feet about a half-dozen rows into the right field seats.

Judge pulled a hanging changeup 408 feet for a parabolic solo shot that bounced into the left-center bleachers against Trevor Cahill in the seventh for a 7-3 lead. It was his fourth multihomer game this month and seventh this year.

He was hitting .329 with 30 homers and 66 RBI when he won the All-Star Home Run Derby.

“The way he started, I thought he was going to hit 60, 70,” Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez said through a translator.

But as if zapped by Kryptonite, Judge slumped to a .179 average with seven homers and 16 RBI from the start of the second half through Aug. 31, a whiff-a-thon that included 67 strikeouts in 44 games.

“I saw frustration,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “I didn’t see him getting down. I never saw him stop working. I never saw him not believe in himself.”

Judge revived to hit .307 with 13 homers and 26 RBI in a stunning September, leaving him with a .283 average, 108 RBI, an AL-leading 120 walks and a big league-high 203 strikeouts.

“Everybody’s going say, oh, the strikeouts. But I think if I’m an owner of a GM, I’ll take 300 strikeouts with the year he’s putting up,” Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier said.

Judge has homered against every AL opponent and his total is second in the majors to the 57 of Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton. Judge is a contender for AL MVP , along with Houston’s Jose Altuve and Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez.

“I’d rather be in a good position in the playoffs and holding up a World Series trophy than an AL MVP trophy,” Judge said.

Boston’s Fred Lynn in 1975 and Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki in 2001 are the only winners of the rookie and MVP awards in the same year.

“We can honestly say that we’re in this spot because of him,” CC Sabathia said. “I think that’s what an MVP is.”

Judge has 90-degree power, pulling 22 homers to left, hitting 13 to center and sending 15 opposite-field shots to right, according to MLB’s Statcast. His teammates never let him get down during the big slump.

“They kept pushing me, kept motivating me: `Hey, man, you’re going to get out of this. It’s baseball. Keep doing your thing,” he remembered, speaking after the game in a pinstriped thumbs-down T-shirt.

After striking out 42 times in 84 at-bats during last year’s late-season call-up, Judge didn’t even know he had won the right field job until three days before the Yankees’ opener.

“He’s handled it with grace and humility, and he’s never lost who he is and his ability to change someone’s day,” Girardi said. “He’s a natural-born leader for me. … It’s almost like he’s a big brother. He watches out over everyone. He waits for the players to come off the field. You got the whole package.”

Greg Bird added a two-run homer in the sixth , his seventh home run this season and fourth in nine games. Sanchez followed Judge in the seventh with back-to-back homers for the third time this year , raising his total to 33.

Sabathia (13-5) took a 6-0 lead into the seventh , when Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer and Mike Moustakas chased him by going deep four pitches later. Sabathia improved to 9-0 in 11 starts this year after Yankees’ losses and 21-11 in his career against Kansas City. He allowed six hits in six-plus innings, tying Yankees great Whitey Ford with 236 wins.

New York began the day five games behind AL East-leading Boston and needs one win or a Minnesota loss to clinch home field in the AL wild-card game on Oct. 3.

Kansas City trails the Twins by six games with six games left and headed to its final homestand before Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain and Moustakas can become free agents.

“I haven’t really thought about it too much yet,” Moustakas said. “I think it will settle in when we get to the field.”

Judge got both home-run balls back and probably will give them to his parents. He joked about Sanchez following his record-setter with a long ball.

“Maybe I should do that after every at-bat,” Judge said with a smirk, “just do a little quick curtain call before Gary hits.”

CENTURY MARK?

Yankees leadoff hitter Brett Gardner scored three times and has 94 runs, three shy of his career high. Girardi challenged him during spring training to reach 100.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: OF Aaron Hicks (oblique) had six at-bats in a simulated game at New York’s minor league complex.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Jason Vargas (17-10) starts Tuesday’s homestand opener against Detroit and RHP Jordan Zimmermann (8-13).

Yankees: LHP Jordan Montgomery (8-7) start Tuesday against Tampa Bay, which lines up RHP Luis Severino (13-6) to pitch Wednesday and in the wild-card game.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Lucas Giolito has been billed as a big part of the rebuilding plan for the Chicago White Sox.

He’s starting to live up to expectations.

The rookie right-hander pitched seven strong innings and Avisail Garcia drove in three runs with his 18th homer and a double to lead the Chicago White Sox past the fading Kansas City Royals 8-1 on Sunday.

Kevan Smith had a solo homer and a single for two RBI as Chicago took two of three from the Royals and dropped them 5 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card. Kansas City has seven games left.

The 23-year-old Giolito (3-3) allowed five hits while striking out five and walking none in his 11th major league start. Acquired from Washington with two other top pitching prospects last December, the 6-foot-6 Giolito has given up just four runs over 20 innings in his last three outings.

He thinks he can keep it up.

“I’d say that just the confidence and everything is right where it needs to be, so I’m going to continue to try and pitch like I am,” Giolito said. “I trust my stuff. I trust my pitches.”

Chicago manager Rick Renteria has been impressed, even if he isn’t ready to pencil in Giolito at the top of the rotation for next season.

“We’re really happy with the way he’s progressed,” Renteria said. “Obviously, he attacks the strike zone.

“I think it was a 2-to-1 ratio of strikes today, something like that. He gets after it.”

Lorenzo Cain’s homer on a high curveball in the fourth was the only run off Giolito, who threw 65 of 98 pitches for strikes.

Royals starter Ian Kennedy (4-13) allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings as he lost his seventh straight decision. The right-hander hasn’t won since July 26 at Detroit.

“When you hear the score, didn’t reflect what the stat line shows,” Kennedy said. “I felt better than the results.”

Manager Ned Yost agreed, even if the Royals’ playoff hopes were all but dashed.

“I felt like (Kennedy) was much, much better,” Yost said, “but we just couldn’t generate any offense off Giolito.”

Chicago’s Tim Anderson singled twice to extend his career-high hitting streak to 15 games.

Garcia hit a two-run shot to right-center in the first to give Chicago a 2-0 lead.

Cain led off the fourth a drive into the bullpen in left to cut it to 2-1, but Smith lofted a solo shot in the bottom half.

Yolmer Sanchez doubled home Adam Engel in the fifth to make it 4-1. Smith singled in Anderson from second in the sixth.

The White Sox broke it open with three runs in the seventh. Garcia’s double to the corner in right drove in the first one. Mike Moustakas’ error at third base allowed two more to score.

GOOD NUMBERS

Garcia shed 18 pounds heading into this season and his offensive stats continue to reach new highs. The 26-year-old right fielder boosted his career-best totals to 18 homers and 80 RBI. He’s batting .331.

FIVE AND COUNTING

Kennedy rejoined the team Saturday after being away for the birth of his fifth child, Isaac. He is the first boy for Kennedy and his wife, Allison.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox 1B/DH Jose Abreu didn’t start due to sore a left shin and is day to day. The slugger was the DH on Saturday when he drove in two runs to reach the 100-RBI mark for the fourth straight season. Abreu is just the third major leaguer to begin his career with four straight seasons of at least 25 homers and 100 RBI, joining Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols.

UP NEXT

Royals: Rookie RHP Jakob Junis (8-2, 4.05 ERA) faces Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (12-5, 3.81) in New York for an afternoon game that’s a makeup of a May 25 rainout. The Royals return to Kansas City to open a three-game series with Detroit on Tuesday.

White Sox: RHP James Shields (4-7, 5.40) starts Monday night against Angels righty Ricky Nolasco (6-14, 5.06) to begin a four-game series.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) – Kansas City has eight games left and almost no margin for error.

Alex Gordon homered, Whit Merrifield drove in three runs and Danny Duffy pitched into the seventh inning to lead the Royals over the Chicago White Sox 8-2 on Saturday night, keeping Kansas City’s slim playoff hopes alive.

Salvador Perez went 2 for 4 with a pair of run-scoring doubles.

Kansas City is 4 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card, tied with the Los Angeles Angels and Texas.

”We just got to win,” manager Ned Yost said. ”We just have to keep playing good, find ways to win ballgames and play it out to the end.”

Minnesota has three games at AL power Cleveland in a series that starts Tuesday.

”Crazier things have happened in this game,” Duffy said. ”We just want to continue to try and finish strong and worry about next year when next year comes.”

Duffy (9-9) allowed two runs and eight hits in six-plus innings for his first win since Aug. 22.

Jose Abreu went 1 for 4 and drove in two runs to reach the 100-RBI mark for the fourth straight season. The Chicago slugger is just the third major leaguer to begin his career with four straight seasons of at least 25 homers and 100 RBIs after Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols.

”Honestly, I don’t feel as happy as I want to because we lost,” Abreu said through a translator. ”But personally, it feels good to get this goal accomplished.”

Tim Anderson went 1 for 4 to extend his career-best hitting streak to 14 games.

Dylan Covey (0-7) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. He is seeking his first major league win after 11 starts and six relief appearances.

”I felt like I was maybe pitching from behind in counts too much,” Covey said, ”but there were a lot of positive things, too, to carry over into my next start.”

Chicago took the lead on Abreu’s RBI single in the first.

Covey allowed just one hit over the first three innings and retired the first two batters in the fourth. But then Eric Hosmer walked, Salvador Perez followed with an RBI double and Mike Moustakas singled to drive in Perez for a 2-1 Kansas City lead.

Gordon homered in the fifth. Merrifield’s three-run double in the seventh gave the Royals a 6-1 advantage.

Abreu drove in a run with a groundout in the seventh. Kansas City added a pair in the eighth on RBI doubles by Perez and Brandon Moss.

CHOICE COMPANY

DiMaggio is in the Hall of Fame and Pujols is on track for first-ballot election. Abreu felt honored to join a select group.

”I know a few things about DiMaggio,” Abreu said through a translator. ”I went to the video room and they were showing some videos about DiMaggio. Every time that your name is around two of the greatest people in baseball, you have to feel good because it means that you have done something special.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Perez returned after leaving Friday’s game with a sore neck after being struck by a foul tip. He was taken out in the middle of the eighth with the big lead.

White Sox: Abreu was the DH because he’s dealing with a sore left shin. … There’s still no diagnosis for LHP Carlos Rodon beyond shoulder inflammation, but the team is optimistic he’ll be able to go through a normal offseason program and be ready for spring training.

UP NEXT

Chicago RHP Lucas Giolito (2-3, 2.58 ERA) faces RHP Ian Kennedy (4-12, 5.39) in the series finale on Sunday. Giolito is 1-2 with a 2.49 ERA in his last four starts. Kennedy rejoined the team on Saturday after being away for the birth of his fifth child.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — After two errors nearly cost the White Sox, two great throws by Avisail Garcia helped them hold on for a victory.

Matt Davidson drove in three runs with his 26th homer and a double, Yoan Moncada hit a two-run drive and Chicago overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-6 on Friday night.

Juan Minaya pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save as rookie Reynaldo Lopez won his third straight straight. Minaya was aided by a sharp double play that ended the game and dropped the Royals 4 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card with nine games left.

With Whit Merrifield on second and one out, Lorenzo Cain singled to right. Garcia threw out Merrifield at the plate — despite Garcia slipping first — then Cain was thrown out trying to advance to second on two crisp relays.

“I just tried to throw the ball as quick as I can because he’s a fast runner,” Garcia said. “So, that’s what I did. “Just stand up and throw because when you think about it, that’s when you throw the ball somewhere else.”

Garcia also threw out Alex Gordon at the plate in the sixth, preventing the tying run from scoring from second base on Merrifield’s single.

“We need all these games down the stretch,” Cain said. “To lose that one that way the one we did, it’s tough. That’s just how the season has been going for us.”

Alcides Escobar lined a solo drive and Eric Hosmer singled for two RBI in a six-run, third-inning inning for the Royals. White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson made his major-league leading 27th error, and Moncada couldn’t handle a grounder at second, leading to four unearned runs in the third.

“It was a pretty exciting finish to a ballgame that kind of got a little ugly early on,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.

Lopez (3-3) allowed six runs — two earned — and 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings. Jason Hammel (8-13) allowed seven runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.32.

“Embarrassingly bad,” Hammel said after being hit hard for his third straight start. “I gave that one away. It’s just garbage.”

Davidson, who returned after sitting out Thursday with a low-grade fever, and Moncada each hit two-run drives in a five-run fourth as the White Sox took a 7-6 lead.

Chicago held on to move past Detroit and out of the AL Central cellar for the first time since before the All-Star break.

YOST TO RETURN

Manager Ned Yost said he planned to return for 2018, the final season on his contract and his ninth with Kansas City. “Was there ever a question about it?” the 63-year-old Yost said. “One more year, two more years, we’ll see what happens.” Yost has the most wins among Royals managers at 624.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez left with soreness in his jaw after being hit by a foul tip in the fourth.

White Sox: Manager Rick Renteria doesn’t know whether RHP Carson Fulmer, who left Thursday’s game in Houston in the first inning with a blister on his right index finger, will be able to make his next scheduled start.

UP NEXT

Royals LHP Danny Duffy (8-9. 3.71) is to face White Sox RHP Dylan Covey (0-6, 8.18) on Saturday night. Duffy will make his second start since returning from the disabled list (left elbow impingement). It will be Covey’s third start since being reinstated from the DL (strained left oblique) on Aug. 15.

— Associated Press —

TORONTO (AP) — Jason Vargas and four relievers combined on a two-hitter, Melky Cabrera had three hits and the game’s only RBI, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 on Thursday night.

Vargas (17-10) struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings to win his third straight start. None of the three batters he walked advanced beyond first base.

The Blue Jays did not have a runner reach scoring position. Kendrys Morales hit a leadoff single in the second and was promptly erased on a double play, with Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar using his glove to flip the ball to second baseman Whit Merrifield. Darwin Barney had the only other hit off Vargas, a leadoff single in the fifth.

The Royals, who have 10 games remaining, began the day 3 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card spot. Los Angeles and Texas are both ahead of Kansas City.

Kansas City’s run came in the third against Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ (9-11). Alex Gordon walked with one out and advanced to second on a two-out single by Lorenzo Cain before Cabrera hit an RBI single to center.

The inning ended with Eric Hosmer at the plate when Cabrera was caught stealing. Cain broke for home as Cabrera got in a rundown, but first baseman Justin Smoak tagged Cabrera before Cain could cross home plate.

Happ allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings to lose for the first time in four September starts.

Vargas left after Morales grounded out to begin the seventh. Peter Moylan got one out and Ryan Buchter came on to retire pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder.

Joakim Soria pitched the eighth. Mike Minor retired Josh Donaldson, Justin Smoak, and Jose Bautista in the ninth to earn his second career save.

Bautista struck out swinging to end the sixth. It was his 160th strikeout, breaking a tie with Jose Canseco (1988) and Kelly Johnson (2012) for the Blue Jays’ single season record.

Hosmer was called out to end the eighth when he accidentally kicked his own infield chopper into foul territory while running to first.

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Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (8-12, 5.05) starts the opener of a three-game road series against the Chicago White Sox. Hammel is 4-6 with a 5.14 ERA on the road this season. RHP Reynaldo Lopez (2-3, 4.84) starts for the White Sox.

Blue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada (9-8, 4.84) starts the opener of Toronto’s final home series, a three-game set against the New York Yankees. Estrada, who is 5-1 with a 3.75 ERA in his past 10 starts, signed a $13 million deal Wednesday to stay with Toronto in 2018. RHP Masahiro Tanaka (12-11, 4.73) starts for New York.

— Associated Press —

TORONTO (AP) — Mike Moustakas hit his 37th home run of the season, breaking Steve Balboni’s Royals record, Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield also connected and Kansas City routed the Toronto Blue Jays 15-5 on Wednesday night.

Rookie right-hander Jakob Junis (8-2) allowed four runs, two earned, in 6 1/3 innings, improving to 5-0 with a 2.42 ERA over his past eight starts.

Moustakas went 3 for 4 and came within a triple of hitting for the cycle. He eclipsed Balboni’s 1985 record with a solo blast to right off Carlos Ramirez in the sixth.

Merrifield also had three hits and drove in a pair of runs as the Royals snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the second time in their past seven.

Kansas City came within a run of matching its season high. The Royals scored 16 against Detroit twice within a seven-day span in late July.

Leading 1-0, the Royals exploded for eight runs and seven hits in the second, chasing Blue Jays left-hander Brett Anderson and sending 12 batters to the plate. Alcides Escobar had a two-run single, Merrifield hit an RBI single, Eric Hosmer ended Anderson’s night with a two-run double, and Perez greeted reliever Luis Santos with his 26th home run, a two-run drive to left.

Anderson (3-4) left his previous start at Minnesota in the fifth after being bothered by a blister on his index finger. Against the Royals, he allowed eight runs and seven hits in 1 1/3 innings. Anderson was caught by TV cameras ripping his cap apart as he sat in the dugout after coming out of the game.

Kansas City added four more against Ramirez in the sixth, snapping the rookie’s streak of 47 2/3 scoreless innings in the minors and majors. He had pitched 10 shutout innings to begin his big league career.

Merrifield ended the streak with a leadoff homer, his 18th, Cabrera hit an RBI double, Perez drove in a run with a groundout and Moustakas added a two-out homer.

Raffy Lopez homered in the ninth for the Blue Jays.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Perez took a foul ball off his left elbow in the bottom of the seventh. Perez finished the inning but was replaced by pinch hitter Drew Butera in the eighth.

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Royals: LHP Jason Vargas (16-10, 4.19) pitched five innings to beat the Indians in his previous start as Kansas City snapped Cleveland’s 22-game winning streak.

Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (9-10, 3.76) is 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA in three September starts.

— Associated Press —