Chicago White Sox's Yermin Mercedes runs home past Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Leury Garcia during the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, May 9, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yermin Mercedes and Jose Abreu had three RBI’s each to help the Chicago White Sox beat Kansas City 9-3 on Sunday, finishing off a three-game sweep and handing the Royals their eighth consecutive loss.

The Royals went winless on its seven-game homestand. They opened the homestand up 1½ games in the division but leave their friendly confides back 3½ games. They were swept by the Indians earlier in the week.

“We’ve got to keep working and teaching and it will pay off,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “There isn’t a quick fix other than maybe a day off and fight again on Tuesday.”

The White Sox have beaten the Royals 10 straight times on the road. The last team to do that was Oakland from 2003-2006 when they beat Kansas City 12 consecutive times in Kauffman Stadium.

Lucas Giolito (2-3) gave up one run, four hits, two walks and fanned two in five innings of work and got the win. It’s the first run allowed by a Chicago starter in five games as they’ve gone 29 1/3 innings and have a 0.31 ERA in that stretch.

“The heart of a lion,” Chicago manager Tony La Russa said. “The first inning could’ve got away, but he limited it to one run. I was really impressed with the way he competed.”

The three runs by the Royals are the most the White Sox have given up in a week.

Kansas City got its first lead since Wednesday after Whit Merrifield doubled and eventually scored two batters later in the first inning. It was a promising start after snapping a 28-inning scoreless streak on Saturday night, but they didn’t lead again after that point.

“Our best baseball is ahead of us and we’re not happy and it’s embarrassing when we don’t play how we should,” Matheny said.

The next half inning, Mercedes hit a triple to right field – the first in his career – scoring Abreu and a double in the third scoring Yoan Moncada and Yasmani Grandal.

“I’ve been working hard every time and not doing too much,” Mercedes said. “Just do the same thing every day.”

Danny Mendick kept his hot bat going with an RBI-single to right field to lead 3-1.

Leury Garcia added another run on an RBI single to score Andrew Vaughan in the sixth.

The Royals had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth, but only managed one run on an RBI from Michael A. Taylor.

Abreu singled in two RBI’s in the seventh and one more in the ninth.

“We got outstanding heart and spirit,” La Russa said. “It will be a happy flight, but we’ve got to focus on what’s next.”

Mike Minor (2-2) got the loss and went five innings giving up five earned runs, five hits, two walks and struck out seven.

UP NEXT

Chicago hosts Minnesota on Tuesday to open a week-long homestand with Dylan Cease (2-0, 2.37) on the hill. Kansas City starts a seven-game road trip beginning in Detroit on Tuesday.

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