Frazier homers in 10th, White Sox beat Royals 7-5

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Todd Frazier hasn't needed a high batting average to make an impact for the Chicago White Sox.

Frazier hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning for his first hit in five at-bats, Justin Morneau had four hits and the White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-5 on Tuesday night.

"Frustrating day," Frazier said. "I was trying to find my swing a little bit and finally felt a little connection there. So, I was happy about that and happy that I could help contribute to the team."

Despite hitting only .213, Frazier is tied for the major league lead with 31 homers and has 72 RBIs. His latest homer came on the first pitch from Kelvin Herrera (1-4) after a single by Jose Abreu and a double by Morneau.

"It didn't do anything, down the middle," Herrera said of his fastball that Frazier drove out of the park.

David Robertson (3-2) blew a save in the ninth when Alcides Escobar's two-out single scored pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson.

Dan Jennings struck out Eric Hosmer to end the game, logging his first career save.

"I was starting to wonder if it was ever going to happen," Jennings said. "When you play for a team that has a lockdown closer like we have, you know, the opportunities aren't necessarily there. And that's a good thing."

White Sox All-Star left-hander Chris Sale is 0-3 in five starts since a July 2 victory over Houston. He gave up three runs and seven hits in the first 2 1/3 innings but did not allow a hit after that. He threw 115 pitches in seven innings, striking out seven and walking one.

After Edinson Volquez retired the first two hitters in the fifth, the White Sox used five straight singles to score three runs and lead 4-3. Melky Cabrera, Abreu and Morneau each drove in a run.

"His whole game hinged on one-third of an inning," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "The fifth came and he got two quick outs and then a succession of hits and he just couldn't contain it."

Paulo Orlando, batting leadoff for the first time this season, started the first with a double and scored on Cheslor Cuthbert's single.

Hosmer's single in the third scored Cuthbert and Lorenzo Cain, giving the Royals a 3-1 advantage. Sale retired the next 13 batters before walking Raul Mondesi in the seventh.

Volquez allowed four runs, 10 hits and a walk over six innings.

The Royals scored an unearned run in the 10th when Cuthbert doubled, took third on an error and scored on Cain's groundout.

ABREU'S REUNION

Abreu, who is from Cuba, visited his 5-year-old son Dariel on the off-day Monday in Miami in his first time on United States soil. "I couldn't say anything. I just started crying," Abreu said. Dariel, who is staying with grandparents in Florida, will see his father play in the majors for the first time this weekend when the White Sox play at the Marlins.

TRAINER'S ROOM

White Sox: OF-DH Avisail Garcia was placed on the disabled list with a sprained right knee. OF Jason Coats was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.

Royals: LHP Mike Minor (recovering from 2015 labrum surgery) threw 4 1/3 innings Sunday on a rehab start for Triple-A Omaha, allowing three hits and one run against Colorado Springs. Royals general manager Dayton Moore attended Minor's start. "He was very impressed with his fastball command and had a very good changeup with a lot of life," Royals manager Ned Yost said of Moore's scouting report.

UP NEXT

White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana is 1-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 20 career starts against the Royals.

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy has allowed one earned run and seven hits while striking out 15 in 13 innings in his past two starts.

Cubs beat Angels 5-1

CHICAGO (AP) - Kris Bryant hit his 28th home run, John Lackey outpitched friend and former teammate Jered Weaver, and Chicagobeat Los Angeles for its eighth straight victory.

Willson Contreras also homered and Ben Zobrist added an RBI double for the major league-leading Cubs, who won their 70th game and moved a season-high 29 over .500.

Kole Calhoun homered on Lackey's third pitch, but the former Angels right-hander later retired 12 straight. Lackey (9-7) allowed three hits over eight innings, and all six of his strikeouts were looking.

Weaver (8-9) gave up four earned runs and another one that was unearned when he dropped a throw to first base for an error during the Angels' fifth straight loss.

White Sox beat O's 4-2

CHICAGO (AP) — Omar Navarez's foul ball turned into a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning after a replay challenge, and Chicago beat Chris Tillman and Baltimore.

With the bases loaded and nobody out, Navarez hit a pop to shallow left off Mychal Givens. Third baseman Manny Machado tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch, but the ball dropped and umpire Mike Winters immediately ruled it foul. Replays showed the ball hit the foul line. Pinch-runner J.B. Shuck was awarded home and Navarez got a single.

Nate Jones (5-2) got four outs, and David Robertson worked the ninth for his 27th save.

Tillman (14-4) allowed two singles to lead off the seventh before he was lifted.

Adam Eaton hit a solo homer in the eighth, and Tyler Saldino also homered for the White Sox.

Cubs beat A's 4-1

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jake Arrieta pitched eight innings of three-hit ball to get his first victory in over a month, leading Chicago past Oakland.

Arrieta (13-5) was 0-3 in his previous five starts and 1-4 since ending a 20-decision winning streak June 22. He struck out four and walked one on 108 pitches.

The NL Central-leading Cubs have won five straight and 16 of 22. The A's have lost seven of eight.

Ben Zobrist's two-out two-run single off former A's teammate Sonny Gray broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third. Gray (5-11) left after five innings with soreness in his right forearm. He allowed two runs on five hits. Zobrist and Addison Russell had two hits each for the Cubs.

White Sox lose to O's 7-5

CHICAGO (AP) — Pedro Alvarez hit two solo shots to extend his homer streak and Baltimore had 16 hits to overpower Chicago and keep pace with Toronto for first place in the AL East.

Alvarez has five homers in his last three games. Manny Machado doubled in two runs and scored in the third in a three-hit night, and Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy also had three hits each to help the Orioles win for the fourth time in five games.

Yovani Gallardo (4-3) pitched six innings of two-run ball for his first victory since June 29. Zach Britton struck out three in the ninth for his 34th save in 34 chances.

Jose Abreu homered for Chicago. Miguel Gonzalez (2-6) was the loser.

Cubs beat A's 7-2

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jorge Soler hit a three-run home run in his first at-bat following a two-month absence, Jon Lester pitched seven innings, and Chicago beat Oakland.

Dexter Fowler also homered, and Javier Baez added a two-run double to help Chicago win its fifth straight. The Cubs also improved to a major league-best 67-41.

Lester pitched for the A's over the final two months of the 2014 season. He returned to the Coliseum for the first time since then and faced a distinctly different Oakland team than the one he left.

Lester (12-4) had eight strikeouts, allowed two runs and nine hits while winning for the third time in his last four starts. Dillon Overton (1-3) gave up seven runs in three innings.

White Sox beat Tigers 6-3

DETROIT (AP) — Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia homered in a five-run second inning, and Chicago chased Jordan Zimmermann in his return from the disabled list, snapping Detroit's eight-game winning streak.

Zimmermann (9-5) allowed six runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings, failing to strike out a batter in his first outing since June 30. He had been out with a right neck strain.

Jose Quintana (9-8) allowed three runs and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings. David Robertson pitched the ninth for his 26th save in 30 chances. Chicago won for only the second time in eight games.

Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler homered for Detroit. The Tigers fell three games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland.