Witt and Ragans lead surging Royals to 3-0 win over White Sox

KANSAS CITY Mo AP Bobby Witt Jr scored the first run and drove in the second to back five overpowering innings and strikeouts from Cole Ragans as the Kansas City Royals stayed hot with a - conquest over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night The Royals - took the opener of a four-game series to begin a seven-game homestand They have won three straight and of Witt who walked and stole a base before being stranded in the first led off the fourth with a single He stole his th base advanced to third on a wild pitch by rookie Shane Smith and scored on a one-out single by Maikel Garcia Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India reached on one-out singles and Witt doubled to right to make it - in the fifth Ragans - who missed a start with a mild groin strain came in averaging an MLB-best strikeouts per nine innings The left-hander allowed three hits and walked two in his fourth outing with or more strikeouts this season and his ninth in career starts Four relievers finished a six-hitter Carlos Est vez pitched a one-hit ninth for his th save Smith - allowed two runs and five hits in five innings Key moment Caleb Freeman made his major league debut in the eighth for Chicago and struck out Salvador Perez before walking Garcia who stole second and moved to third on a flyout Drew Waters singled with two strikes for a - lead Key stat Kansas City hit a club-record seven home runs in an - win over the Orioles on Sunday after launching three solo shots in - mastery Saturday The Royals entered the series with an MLB-low homers Up next RHP Sean Burke - ERA starts Tuesday for the White Sox against RHP Seth Lugo - AP MLB https apnews com hub mlb Source