CHICAGO Hunter Doziers 10th-inning home run on a 2-0 pitch lifted the Royals to their first road win of the season and avoided a series sweep at the hands of the Chicago White Sox on a wild Wednesday afternoon.
Doziers fifth home run of the season provided the margin of victory in a game between division rivals marked by emotion, ejections, injury and anxiety. The extra-inning affair concluded with the Royals grabbing a 4-3 win on their way out of town in front of an announced 14,358 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
It brought some emotion to the game for both teams, a little extra incentive to win, Dozier said of the benches clearing in the sixth inning. A little emotion is good for the game.
Dozier and Alex Gordon each had two RBIs. Scott Barlow pitched a scoreless 10th inning and recorded his first career save. Doziers go-ahead home came on the heels of his walk-off RBI single in the final game of their recent homestand on Sunday.
Yeah, I think Ive failed at enough (clutch situations) to kind of learn how to stay calm in those situations and try not to do too much, Dozier said. Just try to put the barrel on the ball and good things will happen.
The afternoon also featured several other noteworthy developments such as:
White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, who had enjoyed great success against the Royals, leaving the game in the third because of injury.
Their young star third baseman Yoan Moncada, who hit two home runs on Tuesday night, leaving the game for precautionary reasons after getting smacked in the helmet with a rocket of a throw by Royals catcher Martin Maldonado as Moncada slid into second base on a stolen base. Moncada tested negative for a concussion.
Royals starter Brad Keller, who had held the White Sox scoreless over seven innings earlier this season, leaving the game amid a flurry of ejections as a result of a bench-clearing altercation sparked when he plunked White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson in the sixth inning.
Royals bench coach Dale Sveum, White Sox manager Rick Renteria and Anderson watching from the clubhouse after all three picked up ejections. Sveums marked the 16th of his career, the sixth as a coach (10 as a manager, 1 as a player).
White Sox outfielder Daniel Palka snapping a season-long 0-for-32 streak at the plate that was 0 for 34 dating to last season.
Giolito, whod taken a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Royals in Kansas City earlier this season, came up lame and reached for his hamstring after the fourth pitch of a third inning at-bat by Gordon. With two outs, right-hander Ryan Burr entered with a 1-2 count on Gordon.
Entering Wednesday, Giolito was 4-0 with a 2.40 ERA in seven career starts against the Royals. Hed been even better against them in his home park, going 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA in two career starts at Guaranteed Rate Field.
With Giolito leaving abruptly, it gave the Royals the benefit of getting into the White Sox bullpen before the end of the third inning. But they werent immediately able to take advantage.
The White Sox, who scored all five of their runs the previous night via home runs, drew first blood on Andersons two-run home run with two outs in the fourth.
Andersons blast went about two-thirds of the way up the left field stands, and Anderson celebrated the homer off the Royals ace, Keller, with an abundantly exuberant bat flip.
