Salvador Perez returns from injury ... and blasts game-winning home run for KC Royals

Chicago lived up to its “Windy City” moniker on Wednesday.

Winds swirled around 20 mph at Guaranteed Rate Field as the Kansas City Royals faced the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of a straight doubleheader. The conditions factored into a low-scoring affair.

But they couldn’t stop Salvador Perez.

The Royals captain returned from a mild groin strain to hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. The Royals picked up a 4-2 victory on a day when both the hitting and pitching labored some.

White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon silenced the Royals offense. Cannon, who made his Major League Baseball debut, fared well in his outing. He limited the Royals to one run, an Adam Frazier RBI single, in the second inning.

The rookie hurler struck out three batters in his debut. He threw 54 of 79 pitches for strikes in five innings.

The Royals generated seven hits. However, KC saved its best offense for the late innings.

Perez’s 431-foot blast gave the Royals a late lead and took Brady Singer off the hook for the loss.

Singer labored through five innings. He earned a no-decision after allowing two runs in his outing. The Royals bullpen kept things close by allowing one hit and striking out three batters in the final four innings.

In the ninth, Hunter Renfroe added an insurance run with a solo homer. Royals reliever James McArthur nailed down his fourth save as KC improved to 12-6.

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Here are more notables from Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader:

Salvador Perez returns to the lineup

The Royals captain was back in his usual spot on Wednesday.

Perez, who missed Monday’s game, returned to behind the plate in Game 1. He batted third in the lineup behind Bobby Witt Jr.

Perez also caught all nine innings. He finished 1-for-4, but saved his best act for the late innings.

In the eighth, Perez drilled a 97 mph fastball from White Sox reliever Michael Kopech over the center-field wall. The fastball was left over the heart of the plate.

It was Perez’s 251st career home run and his fifth this season.

Brady Singer fights through early start

Singer didn’t have his best stuff against the White Sox. He struggled with inconsistency and registered four groundouts and two flyouts.

Meanwhile, Singer walked three batters and struck out five. He battled early command as he fell behind five of his first six batters. The White Sox took a quick lead as Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer in the second inning.

Singer settled down later in his start. He retired 10 of his last 14 batters faced before turning it over to the bullpen.