CHICAGO — Tim Anderson hit a two-run homer to cap a four-run, seventh-inning rally, Reynaldo Lopez pitched six strong innings in his White Sox debut and Chicago won its fourth straight, 6-3 over the sliding Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Mike Moustakas belted a pair of deep solo shots to give him 34 homers, but the Royals lost their fifth straight and 10th in 12.
Adam Engel's second triple of the game drove in the tiebreaking run in the seventh. Yolmer Sanchez had two RBIs and Kevan Smith doubled in a run as the AL-worst White Sox kept rolling following a three-game sweep of league-leading Houston.
Aaron Bummer (1-2) pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth to earn his first major league win. Kansas City starter Danny Duffy (7-8) allowed five runs and seven hits in his second straight loss.
Tyler Clippard got the final two outs for third save in eight chances as Kansas City scored its third run on wild pitch.
Lopez allowed two runs — both on Moustakas' homers. The 23-yearold right-hander, one of rebuilding Chicago's prized prospects, permitted four hits and struck out six after being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte earlier in the day.
The 23-year-old Lopez was acquired by Chicago from Washington in December 2016 with right-handers Lucas Giolito and Dane Dunning for outfielder Adam Eaton.
Moustakas' first homer, with one out in the fourth, was the first hit off Lopez.
The White Sox jumped out 1-0 in the first when Smith lined a double to the left-center gap and drove in Anderson. Engel tripled off the right-center wall, then scored on Sanchez's grounder in the second to make it 2-0.
RANGERS 6, ASTROS 4 Cole Hamels pitched seven scoreless innings, Elvis Andrus scored each time after his three hits and the Texas Rangers beat the Houston Astros, the fourth straight loss for the team with the AL’s best record. Hamels (7-1) limited the Astros to three singles only six days after the lefty’s complete game against Minnesota. Two of those were infield hits, including Jose Altuve’s comebacker that ricocheted off his left knee and into foul territory in the fourth.
YANKEES 5, RED SOX 4 Aaron Hicks awoke a dormant offense with a two-run homer that sparked a five-run eighth inning, then threw out a runner at third in the ninth inning to help Aroldis Chapman get out of trouble, and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Red Sox and stop Boston’s winning streak at eight.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CARDINALS 8, BRAVES 5 Paul DeJong had two doubles with three RBIs and Randal Grichuk tripled and drove in two as the surging St. Louis Cardinals held off the Atlanta Braves to win their season-high seventh straight game. Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (12-5) went five innings and retired the final eight batters he saw after pitching out of a no-out, bases loaded jam in the third.