CHICAGO _ Yoan Moncada had his first career two-home run game, Yonder Alonso had four hits, and Reynaldo Lopez turned in his first quality start of the year as the White Sox beat the Royals, 5-1, before 13,583 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Sox have won three straight and four of their last five, improving to 7-9 heading into Wednesday afternoon's series finale. On a cool but dry night on the South Side, they hit four home runs, including three solo shots.
Moncada's third-inning home run off Royals starter Jorge Lopez tied the score 1-1, and Leury Garcia's two-run shot on a change-up in the fifth put the Sox ahead for good. Moncada promptly added his second homer and fifth of the year, the third time the Sox have hit back-to-back home runs this season.
Alonso finished the scoring with a solo homer in the eighth, tying a career high with his fourth hit. The Sox finished with nine hits.
In the first battle of two pitchers named Lopez in MLB history, Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez survived a shaky first to post his first win in four starts. He came into the night with a 12.15 ERA but allowed one run and five hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six innings, dominating with a 96-mph fastball. The Sox bullpen did its job with three scoreless innings, with closer Alex Colome throwing a hitless ninth.
Sox outfielder Daniel Palka went 0 for 3, extending his season-long hitless streak to 0 for 32. His 0-for-34 streak since last year tied Jim Landis for fourth-longest by a position player in White Sox history.
