CHICAGO — Andrew Vaughn and A.J. Pollock each cracked a two-run homer and singled, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Thursday.
Leury Garcia and Elvis Andrus added two hits and an RBI apiece for the White Sox, who won their second straight following a five-game slide to climb back within a game of .500 (65-66).
Chicago improved to 2-1 under bench coach Miguel Cairo, serving in his third game as acting manager while Tony La Russa is on indefinite leave to undergo tests for an unspecified health issue.
The 77-year-old La Russa is in Arizona to consult with his personal doctors. La Russa and Sparky Anderson, both Hall of Famers, are the only managers to win the World Series in the American and National leagues.
Johnny Cueto (7-6) allowed one run on six hits in 5 1/3 innings, walking none and striking out five. The 36-year-old right-hander rebounded from a rough outing last Friday when he allowed seven runs in five innings to Arizona.
Five Chicago relievers combined to throw two-hit ball the rest of the way.
Vaughn’s homer was his 15th, matching his total last year as a rookie. Pollock homered for the second straight game for defending AL Central champion Chicago, which is 4-10 since reaching a season-high five games above .500 on Aug 16.
Kansas City rookie infielder Michael Massey had a double in his first three-hit game. The 24-year-old, who made hit major league debut on July 13, also walked in a 3-for-3 afternoon.
Fellow Royals rookie Drew Waters had a single and double for his third multi-hit game in nine since making his debut on Aug. 22. The 23-year-old right fielder also made a leaping catch against the wall on Pollock’s drive to end the second.
Daniel Mengden (0-1) yielded three runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings in his fifth appearance and first start for the Royals this season. The righty was recalled from Triple-A Omaha before the game.
Kansas City jumped ahead 1-0 in the third. Waters scored from third when M.J. Melendez grounded into a force at second.
Chicago came back with three in the bottom half. Andrus drove in a run with a single and Vaughn followed with a deep drive to left on the Mengden’s first pitch to him.
Filling in for the injured Yoán Moncada at third, Garcia made a nice running catch with his back to the infield on Ryan O’Hearn’s pop down the left field line in the top of the sixth.
The White Sox upped their lead to 5-1 in the sixth on RBI singles from Garcia and Romy Gonzalez. Pollock went deep in the eighth.
ROSTER EXPANSION
Both teams added players as rosters expanded to 28 for September
The Royals selected Mengden and recalled OF Nate Eaton from Triple-A Omaha. The White Sox recalled RHP Matt Foster and OF Adam Haseley from Triple-A-Charlotte.
DAD DUTIES
White Sox CF Luis Robert is travelling to Florida for the birth of his second child and probably will return within a week, Cairo said. Robert has been limited to defensive replacement and pinch-running roles as he recovers from left wrist soreness.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: C Salvador Perez was returned to the starting lineup behind the plate after sitting out Wednesday with lower back tightness.
White Sox: DH Eloy Jiménez left with right leg soreness in the seventh inning and is day-to-day.
UP NEXT
Royals: Had not yet named a starter to face Tigers RHP Drew Hutchison (2-7, 4.01 ERA) at Detroit on Friday.
White Sox: RHP Davis Martin (2-4, 4.62) faces Minnesota Sonny Gray (7-4, 3.04) on Friday on the South Side as Chicago opens a three-game series with the Twins.
