Pérez hits 2-run HR as Royals roll to 9-1 win over White Sox

CHICAGO (AP) — Salvador Pérez hit a two-run homer and the Kansas City Royals went deep four times to beat the Chicago White Sox 9-1 on Wednesday night.

Kansas City ended a four-game losing streak, while the AL Central-leading White Sox lost for the eighth time in 13 games.

Royals starter Carlos Hernández (3-1) yielded only two hits over five innings in beating the White Sox for the second time in seven days. Hernández has allowed six hits while striking out 10 in his last 11 innings against Chicago.

Pérez launched his 27th homer in the third, tying his career high previously accomplished in 2017 and 2018.

Edward Olivares hit his second homer in three games, a solo shot in the second off Chicago starter Lucas Giolito. Michael A. Taylor led off the fourth with a homer against Giolito (8-8) and made a diving catch in center field to rob Cesar Hernandez of a hit in the sixth.

Taylor snapped an 0-for-14 slump with a drive that struck the left-field foul pole.

The Royals had managed only two runs on 12 hits in their previous three games before scoring in each of the first four innings.

Giolito gave up three home runs in four innings and lost for only the second time in his last seven home starts. The three homers allowed tied a season high and were one short of his career worst, against Minnesota on July 25, 2019.

It marked the third time this season Giolito permitted at least six runs. He was tagged for a season-high eight runs (seven earned) in one inning at Boston on April 19.

Ryan O’Hearn, who hit a sacrifice fly in the first, added a two-run homer off reliever Jose Ruiz in the seventh.

Whit Merrifield had three of the Royals’ 12 hits. Merrifield’s two-out single scored Nicky Lopez in the second and snapped the team’s...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Perez-hits-2-run-HR-as-Royals-roll-to-9-1-win-16365323.php