KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ A few days from now, the Royals might reflect on Saturday night's game and wonder if this was the turning point.
If this was the moment that Salvador Perez ignited a reversal of fortune, simply by letting an opponent know he wasn't pleased with the way he celebrated a leadoff home run.
In a 5-2 win over the White Sox at Kauffman Stadium, there was no doubt the moment took on such significance.
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson drilled Royals starter Eric Skoglund's fifth pitch of the game into the stands in left-center field. Somewhere between Anderson watching the home run ball travel 414 feet and crossing home plate, Perez became annoyed. The Royals catcher exchanged some words with him after he scored, and Anderson patted Perez on the stomach as he wandered back to the White Sox dugout.
But in the bottom of the first inning, when Perez moved to second base on Lucas Duda's walk, the conversation took on a life of its own.
Within moments, Perez and Anderson were face to face, standing at second base as both benches spilled onto the infield. At one point, Jorge Soler wrapped his arm around Perez to restrain him.
When the teams were forced back to their respective dugouts and bullpens, Anderson and Perez shook off the argument and shook hands.
Thus began the Royals' rally. Anderson booted a sharp grounder hit by Royals outfielder Abraham Almonte, which allowed the game-tying run to score and kept the bases loaded.
Alex Gordon then ripped a two-run single up the right side of the infield and into center field to give the Royals a 3-1 lead.
Later, Soler knocked in another Royals run against White Sox starter Dylan Covey by stinging a double into the left-field corner. The Royals added a fifth run in the eighth.
But to reduce this victory to one raucous argument in the middle of the field would be unfair to Skoglund, who pitched the best game of his major-league career in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader, which began with the Royals being shut out for the first time this season.
After the home run, Skoglund retired 15 straight hitters. He struck out seven in seven innings, both career highs. He only allowed two hits and a walk.
For a rookie who was thrust into the starting rotation late because of Nathan Karns' ongoing struggle to return from right elbow inflammation, this start marked a turning point in his career. Skoglund threw 10 pitches or fewer in four innings and won his first major-league game since his debut last May.
The Royals won for the first time since beating the Tigers last Sunday in Detroit. They improved to 6-20 as they snapped a five-game losing streak, and Kelvin Herrera pitched in a game where he could finally record a save.
