Kansas City Royals hammer Chicago White Sox in third game of series at Kauffman Stadium

The Kansas City Royals shifted into high gear early Wednesday night, scoring four runs in the first inning en route to a 9-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals battered White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn in the opening frame. Six players collected hits as KC batted around.

First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and catcher Salvador Perez had consecutive doubles to plate the first run of the game. Three RBI singles followed as the Royals raced out to a four-run lead.

Eight Royals reached base to provide ample support for starting pitcher Brad Keller. And before the evening was over, second baseman Michael Massey would hit his first home run since September 2022.

Previous games in the series

Game 1: Royals manager most proud of hitters for this trait after season-best scoring effort

Game 2: KC Royals fall to White Sox, but Bobby Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino offer silver lining

Win No. 3 for Brad Keller

Keller, who made his eighth start this season, was solid on the mound.

He overcame some shakiness early — two first-inning walks — to earn his third win of the year. He mentioned that a meeting with Perez early on helped settle him down and get through five innings.

The result was just one earned run allowed and his first home win since August 7, 2022 against the Boston Red Sox.

“I feel like you definitely need reminders like Sal a lot to come out there and tell me, as I kind of was getting caught up in the moment a little bit,” Keller said. “The first two batters got on really quick, and I felt like I was going fast and couldn’t quite make the adjustments.

“He came out there and told me real quick. After that, I feel like I settled in a little bit better.”

Perez said he simply told Keller to regain his focus and trust his command.

“I told him to try to not see the hitter, but focus on my chest,” Perez said. “Just throw it to me and do the same thing you do in the bullpen. After that, he was a little better.”

Keller utilized his slider to keep the White Sox off-balance, generating 22 swings and eight whiffs with the pitch. His start was a nice rebound from allowing seven runs in his previous start against the Oakland Athletics.

“He really executed some pitches, especially with his off-speed stuff,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You saw the swings and miss he was getting with the off-speed, which is big. I think it was the third inning where he came out and threw some good fastballs in the zone too.

“To me, that inning was a quick inning as there were some fastballs in the zone. That kind of reset the matchup a little bit as it wasn’t just one pitch they had to worry about or off-speed only. The next couple of innings, he battled and got through the five.”

The Royals had 14 hits on the night. Since the start of their current 10-game homestand, they’ve hit .301 collectively with 43 extra-base hits.

It’s been a different player contributing each night, too. The Royals hit three home runs and four doubles in Wednesday’s game.

KC will eye a series victory in Thursday’s afternoon finale. The Royals have won three of four games for the first time this season.

“We need to keep this momentum going and keep winning ball games,” Royals infielder Nick Pratto said. “You never know what ends up at 162.”

Royals extend home run streak to 9 games

The Royals seem to have found a new power supply this month. The offense has clicked since the calendar flipped over following a disastrous April. The Royals have hit a home run in every game they’ve played in May.

Royals trio Michael Massey, Nick Pratto and Edward Olivares circled the bases on Wednesday. Massey belted a 417-foot home run in the fourth inning. It was his first of the season as the Royals took a 5-1 lead.

Pratto followed with a 374-foot blast into the Royals’ bullpen. In the seventh inning, Olivares connected on his third homer, taking White Sox reliever Nick Padilla deep.

The Royals have now hit 17 home runs this month. Before Wednesday’s game, they were tied with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays for the American League lead.

Salvador Perez celebrates birthday in style

The Royals had multiple reasons to celebrate Wednesday night.

Perez celebrated his 33rd birthday with an RBI double in the first inning. He drilled a 92.4 mph sinker into left field and drove home Pasquantino.

In the sixth inning, Perez added another double to his ledger. It was his first game with multiple doubles since April 24, 2022 against the Seattle Mariners.

Perez now has 21 RBIs, which leads the team. He was 2-for-4 at the plate on Wednesday. The strong outing capped his first birthday spent playing at Kauffman Stadium since the 2013 season.

What’s next: The Royals conclude their four-game series against the White Sox on Thursday afternoon. Brady Singer will be on the mound, facing Mike Clevinger. Singer is 2-4 with an 8.82 ERA through seven starts.