Chicago White Sox reach .500 for 1st time since March 2025, edging Kansas City Royals 6-5 for 4th straight win

Schultz exited after issuing a one-out walk in the fifth. Davis walked the first batter he faced, Bobby Witt Jr., but struck out Lane Thomas and got Salvador Perez to ground into a forceout at second.

Montgomery played a factor in the bottom of the fifth with a one-out single. He advanced to second on a bunt. Royals starter Seth Lugo walked designated hitter Andrew Benintendi, bringing Kelenic up with two on and two outs and the score tied at 3.

Kelenic lined a first-pitch curveball over the head of right fielder Starling Marte for a two-run double, giving the Sox a 5-3 lead.

“Stay up the middle, I think that was my approach on him,” Kelenic said. “He’s a good pitcher, he’s got a bunch of different shapes. I was just trying to stay up the middle and breaking ball, I just caught it out front a little bit.”

Lugo allowed five runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks in five innings.

“Really good, right from the beginning,” Venable said of the approach against Lugo. “Really good job, top to bottom we saw everyone involved in the scoring tonight.”

The first two Royals batters reached in the seventh, but reliever Jordan Hicks struck out Maikel Garcia, Witt and Thomas.

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“For him to come in that leverage spot was amazing,” Venable said. “And that’s what it’s going to take, it’s going to take him and the rest of these guys in some tougher spots coming through like (Hicks) did tonight.”

Montgomery extended the lead to 6-3 with his 11th home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh against reliever John Schreiber.

“I knew where I needed to look and was committed to the fastball and he threw it there where I was looking,” Montgomery said.

It turned out to be a big insurance run. Witt hit a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth, bringing the Royals within one run. But Seranthony Domínguez struck out pinch hitter Jac Caglianone to secure his 10th save as the Sox won their fourth straight.

“I think it’s just day in and day out, we are coming in here with the same mindset — coming in, competing our butts off,” Montgomery said. “We all have the same mindset that we can win and obviously that’s what we are doing right now.

“It’s just staying consistent with our work, putting our head down and doing what we need to do before the game and then once the game happens, just go out and have fun.”