Royals end woes vs. Blue Jays with 3-2 win
Trailing 2-0 with two outs in the fifth, the Royals took advantage of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s error. On a potential inning-ended grounder, Guerrero failed to catch third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa's throw, allowing Michael Massey to score Kansas City's first run.
After Maikel Garcia's single, Witt followed with a two-run double to give Kansas City a 3-2 lead. The RBIs were Witt's first since April 11, and it marked the Royals' first lead in 32 innings.
The Blue Jays flooded the basepaths early against Royals starter Michael Wacha, putting eight runners on over the first three innings via five singles and three walks. However, Toronto stranded six while managing only one run on Justin Turner's run-scoring infield single in the third.
Turner scored on Alejandro Kirk's fifth-inning sacrifice fly for a 2-0 Blue Jays lead.
In 4 1/3 innings, Wacha allowed two runs on eight hits and three walks. He struck out four.
Toronto starter Kevin Gausman (0-3) -- the reigning American League strikeout leader -- didn't fan a batter until the final out of the fourth. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing three unearned runs on seven hits and a walk, with two strikeouts.
Chris Stratton (2-1) recorded five outs on 13 pitches for the victory as three Royals relievers combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. James McArthur logged two of those innings to notch his fifth save of the season.
Kansas City went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left six on base.
Witt finished with three hits and Garcia had two for the Royals, who snapped a franchise-record seven-game losing streak against Toronto. Kansas City had last downed the Blue Jays on April 3, 2023.
George Springer had three singles and Turner had two of Toronto's nine hits. The Blue Jays stranded 10 runners.
Bo Bichette helps Jays get by Royals
The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead in the third after a pair of walks and Cavan Biggio's opposite-field double loaded the bases. With one out, Bichette's slicing liner to right-center tipped off the glove of diving center fielder Garrett Hampson, clearing the bases.
Daulton Varsho took Kansas City starter Brady Singer's 1-2 slider out to right for a two-run homer in the sixth, expanding Toronto's lead to 5-0. Varsho leads the Blue Jays with six homers this season.
Toronto scored more runs on Bichette's swing than Singer (2-1) had allowed in any of his four previous starts this year. Singer threw six innings, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks, striking out five.
Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi (2-1) made quick work of the Royals through five scoreless innings, only allowing a bad-hop infield single.
But he ran into trouble in the sixth, as Dairon Blanco doubled with one out and scored on Maikel Garcia's two-run blast that drew Kansas City within 5-2. The homer broke a streak of 16 scoreless innings for the Royals.
Toronto had a scare in the fourth when Bobby Witt Jr.'s 106-mph line drive struck Kikuchi's right foot. Kikuchi stayed in the game to complete six innings, giving up two runs on five hits. He didn't issue a walk and fanned four.
Jordan Romano surrendered Kyle Isbel's two-out homer off the right field foul pole in the ninth, but he still managed to come away with his third save of 2024.
The Blue Jays have won seven of their past nine games, while the Royals have dropped three straight.
Salvador Perez collected two of Kansas City's eight hits and Vinnie Pasquantino extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games. During his streak, Pasquantino is hitting .421 (16-for-38) with four home runs and 11 RBIs.
Cole Irvin pitches Orioles past Royals
Irvin (1-1) escaped first-inning trouble, then limited Kansas City to just three singles and a walk over the next six innings.
In his longest outing since September 17, 2022, Irvin pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks, striking out two.
Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg opened the second inning with back-to-back homers, each connecting for their fifth of the year to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead.
Two batters later, Gunner Henderson nearly added a third home run in the frame with a ringing double off the top of the right-field wall which was reviewed by umpires to determine if it might have cleared the railing. Henderson's liner was measured at 109.1 miles-per-hour exit velocity.
Baltimore expanded its lead in the sixth as Ryan Mountcastle followed Anthony Santander's one-out triple with a first-pitch double to left. Seth Lugo (3-1) exited after walking Cowser to load the bases and reliever Ángel Zerpa walked Westburg for a 4-0 Orioles' advantage.
Westburg, Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins each collected two of Baltimore's 11 hits.
Lugo threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk. It was his shortest outing of the year and snapped a string of seven consecutive quality starts dating to Sept. 9 last year. He struck out one -- his fewest as a starter since Sept. 27, 2020.
Three relievers allowed one hit over the final 2 2/3 innings, finishing the Orioles' first shutout of the season as Baltimore concluded their season series with Kansas City, winning four of six games.
The Royals were shut out for the first time this year and have not won a series from the Orioles since Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2019, having lost six and split two series.
Big inning helps Orioles stave off Royals, 9-7
Corbin Burnes delivered five shutout innings before coming apart in the sixth.
Burnes (3-0) recovered from being pelted by a sharp first-inning grounder from Royals leadoff hitter Maikel Garcia to limit Kansas City to two singles over the first five innings. No runners passed first base until Garcia's one-out double in the sixth.
Burnes exited with two out in the sixth after surrendering a three-run homer to Salvador Perez, his sixth. Burnes allowed three runs on four hits and a walk, striking out four.
Perez finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs.
The Orioles built a 7-0 lead in the second, forcing 49 pitches from Cole Ragans (0-2) while sending 12 batters to the plate. Ragans allowed seven runs on nine hits while recording five outs -- four by strikeout.
Jordan Westburg opened the second inning with a single and then capped the seven-run outburst with a two-run single. Ramon Urias and Anthony Santander each contributed RBI doubles.
It was the Orioles' most productive inning since scoring nine in the sixth inning against the Angels on March 30.
Kansas City sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh, scoring four, highlighted by Perez's two-run single. Yennier Cano struck out Nelson Velazquez with the bases loaded to preserve a one-run lead.
Santander's third double of the game provided an eighth-inning insurance run. Each Orioles' starter had at least one of their 15 hits.
Craig Kimbrel, Baltimore's sixth reliever of the game, pitched a hitless ninth for his fifth save and 422nd of his career, matching Billy Wagner for seventh in career saves.
Seven runs allowed are the most for Ragans in any inning and matched a career game high.
It was the first time in 17 career starts for Kansas City that Ragans had not pitched at least five innings and was the shortest outing of the year for Royals starters, whose 12 quality starts lead the American League.
MJ Melendez's slump-ending effort lifts Royals past Orioles
Melendez snapped a 0-for-23 skid with a two-out RBI single to ignite a five-run sixth inning. He added a three-run homer in the seventh inning to propel the Royals to their ninth straight win at home.
Marsh (3-0) scattered three hits, struck out six and walked two to defeat the Orioles for the second time this season. He allowed one run on two hits over seven innings in Kansas City's 4-1 win on April 2.
Michael Massey had a two-run single in his season debut and Hunter Renfroe added a two-run double in the Royals' sixth-inning uprising. Massey had been sidelined since late in spring training due to a lower back strain.
Vinnie Pasquantino homered for Kansas City.
Baltimore's Adley Rutschman launched his first career grand slam to highlight his three-hit performance. The Orioles, however, predominantly were held in check as their four-game winning streak ended.
Dean Kremer (0-2) retired the first 11 batters he faced before Pasquantino deposited a 1-1 splitter over the wall in right field with two outs in the fourth inning. The homer was the fourth for Pasquantino this season, all of them coming during his eight-game hitting streak.
Keegan Akin relieved Kremer with two outs in the sixth inning and runners on first and second base. Melendez's base hit to right field off the second pitch from Akin drove home Bobby Witt Jr. and gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead.
Massey stepped up two batters later and singled to right field, doubling the advantage. Renfroe followed with a two-run double to center field to stake the Royals to a 6-0 lead.
Kremer was saddled with the loss after permitting three runs on two hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three.
Kansas City answered Rutschman's grand slam in the seventh inning, his second homer of the year, with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Melendez sent a first-pitch sinker from Dillon Tate over the wall in right-center field, his fourth homer of the season.
White Sox finally break through vs. Royals, win 2-1
It marked Chicago's first win against the Royals this season in seven tries. Kansas City took the opener of the twin bill, 4-2.
In Game 2, the White Sox went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth when Andrew Vaughn doubled to left and Dominic Fletcher drove him in with a sharp single down the right field line.
Sheets doubled Chicago's lead when he led off the sixth by turning on a first-pitch fastball from Royals right-hander Michael Wacha, driving it off the right field foul pole for his third homer of the year.
The Royals cut the lead in half at 2-1 in the top of the seventh. Nick Loftin singled to right, went to second on Adam Frazier's groundout to first, took third on Tanner Banks' errant pickoff attempt and scored on Hunter Renfroe's groundout to third.
Kansas City got the tying run on against reliever Deivi Garcia in the eighth, but with two outs, pinch runner Dairon Blanco was gunned down by Chicago catcher Korey Lee while trying to steal second.
Garcia stayed in for the ninth and got his first save of the season. He logged two scoreless innings in all, giving up just one hit while walking one.
White Sox right-hander Erick Fedde (1-0) tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks. He struck out five en route to the win.
Wacha (1-2) gave up two runs on four hits over six innings, walking two and striking out four in a 92-pitch effort to take the loss.
Chicago outhit the Royals 6-5.
Tuesday's game between the teams was rained out, leading to the doubleheader on Wednesday.
Salvador Perez HR rallies Royals past White Sox in Game 1
Back in the lineup after leaving Sunday's game with injuries to his left hip and knee, Perez connected against Chicago closer Michael Kopech, who was attempting a six-out save.
Kopech (0-2) got two outs around a Bobby Witt Jr. (2-for-4) infield single before the Perez blast. Hunter Renfroe provided an insurance run with a solo homer against Dominic Leone in the ninth.
The late struggles wiped away White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon's bid for a victory in his major league debut while spoiling a 3-for-3 day from Paul DeJong.
Cannon spaced one run and three hits over five innings. He struck out three and walked one.
Cannon needed just seven pitches to retire the side in order in the first inning. He set down the first five Royals overall, and the streak may have stretched to six if not for Dominic Fletcher's slip in center field.
Fletcher was unable to catch up to a Nelson Velazquez line drive that fell for a double. Adam Frazier then singled to give Kansas City a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
Chicago didn't trail for long. Two batters after Eloy Jimenez drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half, DeJong connected for a two-run home run against Royals starter Brady Singer. It was DeJong's team-leading third homer.
DeJong added a double for Chicago's lone extra-base hits of the game.
Singer scattered two runs and three hits in five innings, with three walks and five strikeouts. His ERA climbed from 0.98 to 1.54.
Relievers Will Smith, Nick Anderson (1-1), John Schreiber and James McArthur followed Singer with one scoreless inning apiece.
McArthur notched his fourth save, fanning Robbie Grossman with a runner on second to end the game.
Royals relievers have pitched 17 1/3 scoreless innings against Chicago in six games this season.
Royals-White Sox postponed; doubleheader Wednesday
The American League Central rivals instead will get together for a traditional doubleheader Wednesday, starting at 1:10 p.m. local time.
Pitching plans were not yet known. On Tuesday, the Royals were scheduled to start right-hander Brady Singer (2-0, 0.98 ERA) against Chicago's Jonathan Cannon (0-0, 0.00). Cannon was slated to make his major league debut.
The White Sox are 2-14, the worst record in the majors, and have been shut out six times in 16 games, including a 2-0 loss to Kansas City on Monday.
Hall of Fame skipper Whitey Herzog dies at 92
"On behalf of the entire St. Louis Cardinals organization, I would like to offer our condolences to the family and many friends of Whitey Herzog," team chairman and chief executive officer Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a news release. "Whitey and his teams played a big part in changing the direction of the Cardinals franchise in the early 1980s with an exciting style of play that would become known as 'Whitey Ball' throughout baseball. Whitey loved the Cardinals, their fans, and St. Louis. He will be sorely missed."
Herzog is survived by Mary Lou, his wife of 71 years, along with three children, nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The Herzog family also issued a statement.
"Whitey spent his last few days surrounded by his family. We have so appreciated all of the prayers and support from friends who knew he was very ill. Although it is hard for us to say goodbye, his peaceful passing was a blessing for him."
Herzog compiled an overall record of 1,281-1,125-3 (.532) across 18 seasons as manager of the Texas Rangers (1973), California Angels (1974), Kansas City Royals (1975-79) and Cardinals (1980-90).
He guided the Cardinals to a seven-game triumph against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982 World Series and led St. Louis to two more National League pennants in 1985 and 1987. His 822 wins with St. Louis rank third in franchise history behind fellow Hall of Famers Tony La Russa (1,408) and Red Schoendienst (1,041).
Herzog was the NL Manager of the Year in 1985 and was inducted into Cooperstown in the Class of 2010. He is also a member of the Royals' and Cardinals' Halls of Fame.
As a manager, his strategy that became known as "Whiteyball" was based on valuing pitching, speed and defense over home runs. He prioritized base stealers and patient hitters with high on-base percentages.
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement.
"Whitey Herzog was one of the most accomplished managers of his generation and a consistent winner with both 'I-70' franchises. He made a significant impact on the St. Louis Cardinals as both a manager and a general manager, with the Kansas City Royals as a manager, and with the New York Mets in player development. Whitey's Cardinals' teams reached the World Series three times in the 1980s, winning the Championship in 1982, by leaning on an identity of speed and defense that resonated with baseball fans across the world.
"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Whitey's family, his friends across the game, and the fans of the Cardinals and the Royals."
Born on Nov. 9, 1931 in New Athens, Ill., just outside of St. Louis, Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog got the nickname of "Whitey" because of his light blonde hair.
An outfielder, Herzog played eight seasons in the majors with the Washington Nationals/Senators (1956-58), Kansas City Athletics (1958-60), Baltimore Orioles (1961-62) and Detroit Tigers (1963). He batted .257 with 25 homers and 172 RBIs in 634 games.
Herzog had been the second-oldest living Hall of Famer. Willie Mays, also 92, was born six months before Herzog.
The Herzog family is planning a private service after a period of grieving. They requested that any donations be made to Shriners Hospital for Children.
Royals shut out White Sox, spoil Nick Nastrini's debut
Lugo (3-0) scattered four singles, walked one and struck out four while lowering his ERA to 1.05. He threw 99 pitches, 64 for strikes. James McArthur, who hit Gavin Sheets in the foot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, bounced back to strike out pinch hitter Eloy Jimenez to end the game and garner his third save in four tries.
Kyle Isbel added an RBI single for Kansas City, which improved to 5-0 against the White Sox this season. The loss was the 14th in 16 games for Chicago, the worst start in the franchise's 124-year history.
Andrew Benintendi had two hits while Nick Nastrini (0-1) suffered the loss in his major league debut. Nastrini, obtained at the trade deadline last July from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deal that sent Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to L.A., started the game with 3 2/3 perfect innings and allowed two runs on three hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out five, but the White Sox were shut out for the sixth time in 16 games.
Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Pasquantino drove a 2-1 fastball 421-feet into the rightfield bleachers, breaking up Nastrini's perfect game. It was the third home run of the season for Pasquantino.
The Royals extended the lead to 2-0 in the fifth. Nick Loftin singled with one out, advanced to second on a walk to Adam Frazier and then scored on a ground single to left by Isbel with two outs. Maikel Garcia followed with a walk to load the bases but Nastrini got Bobby Witt Jr. to fly out to the wall in center to narrowly end the threat.
Mets get timely hitting in eighth inning to take series with Royals
The Mets have won seven of 10. The Royals lost for just the second time in 10 games.
Pete Alonso led off the eighth by walking against Chris Stratton (1-1). Alonso went to second on a bunt by Tyrone Taylor before Francisco Alvarez flew out. Stratton then walked Jeff McNeil and Brett Baty before Bader legged out an infield single on a slow roller to third.
Brandon Nimmo followed with a four-pitch walk to force home McNeil.
Edwin Diaz notched his third save despite giving up a two-out homer to Vinny Pasquantino. Brooks Raley (1-0) threw a 1-2-3 eighth.
Nimmo and Francisco Lindor each had two singles for the Mets. Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. had the Royals' other hits.
Neither pitcher factored into the decision despite tossing six scoreless innings apiece. Mets rookie right-hander Jose Butto gave up two hits and walked one while striking out nine. Royals left-hander Cole Ragans allowed five hits and walked one with eight strikeouts.
The only runners Butto allowed beyond first base were Perez and Witt Jr., who doubled in the second and sixth, respectively.
The Mets had more traffic against Ragans, who retired nine straight following Nimmo's leadoff single. Starling Marte led off the fourth with a single and went to third when right fielder Hunter Renfroe misplayed Francisco Lindor's single. Ragans then retired Alonso on a pop-up before Marte was thrown out at home trying to score on Taylor's fly out to left.
The Mets got two runners on in each of the next two innings, but Ragans ended the fifth by retiring Nimmo on a grounder to first and concluded his afternoon in the sixth by inducing Francisco Alvarez to hit into a fielder's choice in the sixth.
New York loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh against John Schreiber, but Lindor popped out to Pasquantino.
Off to strong start, Royals vie for series win over Mets
Yet even in defeat, the New York Mets displayed some encouraging traits.
The Royals and Mets will both be looking to stay hot Sunday afternoon, when they meet in the rubber game of a three-game interleague series in New York.
Left-hander Cole Ragans (0-1, 2.60 ERA) is slated to start for the Royals against Mets right-hander Jose Butto (0-0, 1.50).
Six players had two hits apiece Saturday afternoon for the Royals, who held off a late rally to earn an 11-7 victory.
Kansas City finished with 13 hits one day after it was limited to a season-low three hits in a 6-1 loss. The 11-run outburst marked the third time in the last four games the Royals have scored at least 10 runs.
The Royals, who are 10-5 in their best 15-game start since they opened 10-5 in 2016, lead the American League with 84 runs and are tied with the Houston Astros for first with a .433 slugging percentage. Kansas City ranked 10th in the AL in both runs (676) and slugging percentage (.398) last season, when it finished 56-106.
"It's no surprise," outfielder Nick Loftin said, referring to the Royals' early-season outbreak. "I saw these guys day in and day out in spring training do this. This is a high-octane offense. Every time you get us going, it's scary."
The Mets' late comeback bid continued their emergence from a concerning opening homestand in which they went 1-5 and were outscored 26-13. New York is 5-3 since then, a span in which it has outscored the opposition 54-41.
On Saturday, the Mets squandered a 3-1 first-inning lead and trailed 11-4 before scoring three times in the final four frames. New York didn't score in the ninth, but Joey Wendle and Starling Marte each singled against emerging Royals closer James McArthur, who was working in a non-save situation.
"We could have easily folded," said first baseman Pete Alonso, who hit a pair of solo homers and had three RBIs. "But we battled, we scored some extra runs and we got their closer in the game. Hopefully, that helps us out (Sunday)."
Ragans didn't factor into the decision Tuesday, when he allowed three runs over five innings in the Royals' 4-3, 10-inning win over the Houston Astros. He won his lone previous appearance against the Mets last Aug. 2, tossing six scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory.
Butto will be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse before Sunday's game. He hasn't pitched since his season debut April 4, when he didn't factor into the decision after allowing one run over six innings in the Mets' 2-1 win over the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a doubleheader. He has never faced the Royals.
Salvador Perez leads Royals' big bats in win over Mets
Bobby Witt Jr. finished 2-for-5 with four runs scored for the Royals, who have won eight of nine. Nick Loftin was 2-for-3 with three RBIs while Hunter Renfroe had two hits and two RBIs.
Nelson Velazquez had two hits and an RBI, Garrett Hampson added two hits and two stolen bases while Freddy Fermin had a run-scoring single.
Alec Marsh (2-0) allowed four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two over five innings.
Pete Alonso went 3-for-3 with two homers and three RBIs for the Mets, who lost for just the third time in their past nine games.
Starling Marte was 3-for-5 with a homer while Brett Baty hit into a run-scoring fielder's choice, DJ Stewart laced an RBI double and Tyrone Taylor lofted a sacrifice fly. Joey Wendle added two hits.
Sean Manaea (1-1) gave up eight runs (six earned) on nine hits and three walks while striking out four over 3 2/3 innings.
There were two lead changes and one tie before the Royals took control by scoring four times in the fourth.
Velazquez had an RBI single in the top of the first before Alonso (single), Baty (fielder's choice) and Stewart (two-run double) gave the Mets a 3-1 lead against Marsh in the bottom half.
The Royals quickly tied the game in the second. Loftin drew a bases-loaded walk and Perez followed with a two-run single.
Alonso hit his first homer with two outs in the third before Kansas City went ahead for good in the fourth. Witt Jr. reached on a three-base error by Marte, who allowed the shortstop's fly ball to glance off his glove, before trotting home on Loftin's single.
Perez then hit a two-run homer before Fermin capped the inning with an RBI single.
Loftin delivered a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Renfroe had a two-run double in the sixth.
Marte homered leading off the eighth, when Taylor capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
Mets' pitchers, hitters dominate Royals
The Mets scored their first five runs with two outs as they won for the sixth time in eight games following an 0-5 start. The Royals had their seven-game winning streak snapped.
Severino (1-1) signed as a free agent with the Mets in December after spending his first eight seasons with the New York Yankees. The right-hander earned his first win with his new team after allowing one run on one hit -- Salvador Perez's leadoff homer in the second -- while walking four and striking out four in five innings.
Jake Diekman got two outs in the sixth before Reed Garrett, Adam Ottavino and Jorge Lopez combined to allow one hit over the final 3 1/3 innings. The three hits allowed tied a season-low for the Mets, who held the Cincinnati Reds to three hits in a 3-1 win last Sunday.
Brandon Nimmo had an RBI double in the third against Michael Wacha (1-1) before the Mets took the lead in the fourth, when Jeff McNeil and DJ Stewart laced consecutive RBI singles.
Brett Baty added a two-run double in the fifth before Pete Alonso homered leading off the eighth.
McNeil finished with three hits while Alonso, Baty and Harrison Bader had two hits apiece. Every Mets starting batter had at least one hit except right fielder Starling Marte, and the team totaled 14 hits.
Vinnie Pasquantino (sixth inning) and Nelson Velazquez (ninth inning) singled for the Royals' other hits. The three hits were a season-low for Kansas City, which had outscored the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros 48-13 during its winning streak.
Wacha, opposing the Mets for the first time since he spent the shortened 2020 season with New York, allowed five runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings. He induced double-play grounders in the second, fourth and sixth.
Bobby Witt Jr., Royals overpower Astros
The Royals sent 15 batters to the plate in the first inning -- scoring nine -- capped by Witt's opposite-field, two-run homer.
Vinnie Pasquantino, Nick Loftin and Maikel Garcia delivered two-run singles ahead of Witt's homer as Kansas City tied a club record with 11 hits in the inning, all against starter Hunter Brown (0-2), who recorded two outs.
Kansas City totaled 16 hits in winning its seventh consecutive game.
Witt led off the sixth with his third hit and stole second, then scored on Pasquantino's third hit, a double into the right-field corner. Pasquantino has eight RBIs in his last two games after none in his first 10.
In the seventh, Witt again went to the opposite field, delivering a three-run blast for his fourth home run.
Witt matched a career high with four hits, recording his third career multi-homer game and first since May 26, 2023, against the Washington Nationals.
Brady Singer (2-0) finished five innings, allowing a run on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Yainer Diaz led off the Houston fourth with his third home run, 432 feet into the fountains in left-center.
Mauricio Dubon's two-out RBI in the sixth against reliever Nick Anderson snapped a 19 1/3-inning scoreless streak by the Royals bullpen. Yordan Alvarez's bases-loaded walk cut the deficit to 9-3. Alvarez's 16-game hitting streak against Kansas City ended.
Diaz and Dubon each had two of the Astros' 11 hits, while Jose Altuve had three hits to extend his streak of reaching safely to 14 games, a career best to open a season.
Infielder Grae Kessinger pitched a hitless eighth for Houston.
Dating to last September, the Royals have won six consecutive games and 8 of 9 against the Astros.
In recording consecutive series sweeps against the Chicago White Sox and Houston, Kansas City outscored opponents 48-13.
Over the first three innings this season, the Royals have outscored opponents 37-6.
Royals blitz Astros with 7-run third, win 11-2
Pasquantino's two-run double in the third opened the floodgates as the Royals batted around in the inning, plating seven to snap a scoreless tie.
Nelson Velazquez added a two-RBI single and Hunter Renfroe drove in two more runs with a double as part of the third-inning onslaught, which forced Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti (0-1) to throw 43 pitches in the frame.
In the fourth, Pasquantino drove the tenth pitch of his at-bat out to right-center for his first home run of the year, then added a fourth RBI on a sixth-inning sacrifice fly. He capped the scoring with a two-out RBI single in the eighth.
Renfroe extended his hitting streak to six games, and MJ Melendez (1-for-3 on Wednesday) pushed his to seven. Everyone in the Royals' starting lineup scored at least once.
Arrighetti's major league debut began well enough with back-to-back strikeouts in a scoreless first inning. He went three innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits, with three walks and three strikeouts.
Alex Bregman and Yainer Diaz opened the fourth with consecutive doubles against Seth Lugo (2-0) as the Astros trimmed the deficit to 7-1.
Bregman and Diaz each had two of Houston's nine hits.
With a fifth-inning single, Yordan Alvarez extended his hitting streak against Kansas City to 16 games, but his 12-game streak with an extra-base hit against the Royals came to an end. No opponent has had a longer extra-base hit streak against Kansas City.
Lugo completed six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks, with two strikeouts.
Kansas City starters have recorded a major-league-best nine quality starts. The Royals have won six straight games.
Royals nip Astros in 10 for fifth straight win
With pinch runner Garrett Hampson at second to start the inning, Perez jumped on Wander Suero's 0-1 cutter, drilling it into the left-center field gap for the decisive hit.
The Royals won their fifth straight with their first walk-off win of the year.
It was the first extra-inning game for both teams, and they combined to leave 24 runners on base, 13 by Houston.
The Astros nicked Royals starter Cole Ragans for single tallies in the first, second and fourth innings but stranded eight on base in those four frames. Ragans allowed three runs on a career-high 10 hits and one walk with five strikeouts over five innings.
Houston's first three hitters singled to load the bases in the first inning before Yainer Diaz had an RBI groundout.
In the second, Yordan Alvarez's two-out hit plated Jeremy Pena. Doubles by Mauricio Dubon and Alvarez made it 3-0 in the fourth.
Alvarez matched a career high with four of the Astros' 14 hits.
Maikel Garcia's fifth-inning sacrifice fly got Kansas City on the scoreboard with the first run scored against Cristian Javier after he fired 15 shutout innings to begin the year.
Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a two-out RBI triple and scored on third baseman Alex Bregman's throwing error, tying the game 3-3.
Javier wound up allowing three runs -- two earned -- on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Kansas City's James McArthur (1-0) allowed only an infield hit over the final two innings for the win.
The Royals bullpen delivered five innings of scoreless relief, expanding their scoreless streak to 16 1/3 innings.
Suero (0-1), who was promoted from Triple-A Sugar Land when Framber Valdez (elbow) was placed on the injured list earlier in the day, faced only one batter and took his first major league loss since 2021.
The Astros had won their previous two games.
Royals sweep White Sox, now 1-8 to start the season
Melendez's third homer of the season -- and of the series -- gave the Royals a 4-3 lead in the seventh. Melendez collected the game-winning hit for the third straight game.
The Royals took advantage of two White Sox errors in the seventh to expand their lead to 5-3 against reliever Deivi Garcia (0-2).
John Schreiber (1-0) earned the victory with an inning of scoreless relief and James McArthur surrendered a hit and a walk in a scoreless ninth, getting his second save.
Kansas City starter Alec Marsh escaped jams in each of the first two innings as Chicago left four on base.
The White Sox broke through in the fourth on Dominic Fletcher's RBI double and Braden Shewmake's sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.
Andrew Benintendi's two-out RBI hit drove Marsh from the mound in the fifth. Marsh allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk, striking out three in 4 2/3 innings.
Chicago starter Garrett Crochet breezed through the Kansas City lineup for four innings, striking out five and inducing weak contact while allowing one baserunner.
Crochet's no-hitter was broken by Nelson Velazquez's leadoff single in the fifth. One out later, Renfroe hit his first home run of the year, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
Crochet's five strikeouts gave him 21 over his first three career starts, matching Chris Sale for the most ever in White Sox history.
Chicago collected a season-high 12 hits and also left a season-high 12 runners on base.
The White Sox have lost four straight, dropping to 1-8, their worst start since 1974 and matching their second-worst start in the franchise's 124-year history, behind only the 0-10 start in 1968.
Royals blank White Sox behind Michael Wachaâs gem
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh, when Salvador Perez singled to left off Chicago right-hander Chris Flexen.
On the next pitch, Melendez hit an opposite-field liner that was headed for the top of the wall in center. Chicago center fielder Dominic Fletcher got his glove on the ball, but instead managed to tip it over the fence for a two-run homer, Melendez's second of the season.
The Royals tacked on another run in the inning when pinch-runner Dairon Blanco scored from third on Maikel Garcia's infield single to second base.
The game evolved into a pitching duel between a pair of well-traveled veteran right-handers, Kansas City's Wacha and Chicago's Flexen.
The White Sox were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and are hitting just 4-for-38 with RISP over their first eight games.
The futility continued for Chicago in the top of the eighth after Paul DeJong led off with a double to left. But after a walk to Fletcher, Royals reliever Nick Anderson got pinch-hitter Robbie Grossman to hit into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Wacha (1-0), pitching for his sixth different team since 2019, got the win. He faced the minimum three batters in five of his seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out eight.
Wacha's outing was the Royals' MLB-best eighth quality start.
Flexen (0-2), on his third different team since pitching in Korea in 2020, allowed three runs through 6 1/3 innings, on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts, to take the loss.
Chris Stratton picked up his first save with a scoreless ninth.
The teams conclude their four-game series Sunday.
Royals score tiebreaking run in 8th to edge White Sox
The Royals hustled to take the lead at 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth against Chicago's hard-throwing reliever Michael Kopech (0-1).
Perez, the Royals' eight-time All-Star catcher, drew a one-out walk, and speedster Dairon Blanco came on to pinch run and immediately stole second base.
MJ Melendez then sliced a sinking liner to left for a single and Blanco dashed home to score the go-ahead run.
Will Smith came on to try to get the save for Kansas City but allowed a two-out double to Luis Robert Jr., who appeared to suffer a leg injury. Braden Shewmake was called upon to pinch run for Robert.
After a walk to pinch-hitter Kevin Pillar, right-hander James McArthur took over and got Andrew Vaughn to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
Perez put Kansas City on top in the bottom of the first when he laced a line drive off the top of the wall in center field, scoring Vinnie Pasquantino, who had singled with two out.
The White Sox tied things up at 1-1 in the top of the second when Gavin Sheets pulled a 2-2 slider from Singer 391 feet over the wall in right for his first homer of the season.
Singer, who threw seven shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, gave up just two hits over 6 1/3 innings to Chicago, allowing one run.
Singer, who struck out four and walked one, retired 16 of his last 17 hitters (including 15 in a row), during his 72-pitch outing.
Erick Fedde, who was signed by the White Sox after being named MVP of the Korea Baseball Organization last season, also pitched well.
Fedde allowed just one run over five-plus innings with two walks and four strikeouts over 91 pitches.
Chris Stratton (1-0) got the win in relief and McArthur got his first save for Kansas City.
