Carlos Santana, Andrew Benintendi rescue Royals in extra innings win over White Sox
Offseason acquisitions Carlos Santana and Andrew Benintendi provided a much-needed combination of small ball and the long ball in clutch situations on Sunday afternoon to guide the Kansas City Royals to an extra-inning win in Chicago.
Benintendi registered his first RBI as a Royal, while Santana recorded his first homer in blue. The duo played a part in driving in three of the team’s four runs as the Royals earned a series split of the rain-shortened two-game set with a 4-3 victory over the White Sox in 10 innings in front of an announced 7,695 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“Great at-bats,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said of Benintendi and Santana. “Benny using the middle of the field, and he’s had some bad luck lately where he has been squaring balls up right at people too through the middle. … But you’re talking two guys that we were hopeful would come into this team and be an offensive spark for our club, and that’s exactly what they’ve both been.”
Whit Merrifield went 2 for 4 with an RBI and walk, while Santana went 1 for 4 with a walk. Benintendi also went 1 for 4 with a walk and an RBI. Benintendi also had a stolen base. Rookie outfielder Kyle Isbel also collected two hits.
The win stopped a two-game mini losing slide for the Royals (4-3). They’ve now come from behind in three of the four wins this season.
“That was a special game right there,” Matheny said. “I love to watch these guys come back and fight their way through.”
The Royals took a one-run lead in the top of the eighth. With one out and the score tied 1-1, Nicky Lopez stole second and put himself in scoring position with Benintendi at the plate. Benintendi slapped a single on the ground into left field that scored Lopez with the go-ahead run. The hit marked Benintendi’s first RBI as a member of the Royals.
That lead proved short-lived. For the second time in less than a week, Royals reliever Jesse Hahn gave up a game-changing home run in the late innings of a one-run game.
On the heels of his last outing when he gave up a two-run home run to Cleveland Indians slugger Jose Ramirez on Wednesday, Hahn got tagged for a two-run pinch-hit homer by White Sox veteran left-handed hitter Adam Eaton in the eighth inning.
Eaton’s 353-foot drive down the right field line put the White Sox ahead 3-2
Hahn faced three batters, walked two and gave up the home run. He left without recording an out. Greg Holland (1-0) came on in relief of Hahn and pitched two scoreless innings to keep the game within reach.
Santana batted first in the ninth against White Sox big-ticket offseason acquisition Liam Hendriks. This winter, the right-handed reliever signed a three-year deal with a fourth-year option that guarantees him $54 million.
Santana turned around a 1-1 fastball and drove it 405 feet to center field, tying the score at 3-3. The homer also gave Santana his 800th career RBI.
“I was excited, especially with the home run,” Santana said. “It was great, great approach, great swing. I’m happy we won the game.”
In the 10th inning with a runner on second base to start, Lopez superbly executed a sacrifice bunt. The White Sox intentionally walked Merrifield and pitched to Benintendi.
Benintendi, whose job was to get the run in any way possible, bunted back to the pitcher’s mound. With Michael A. Taylor running home from third, the pitcher Garrett Crochet spiked the throw home and Taylor scored the eventual winning run on the throwing error.
Royals reliever Kyle Zimmer pitched a scoreless 10th inning with two strikeouts and collected his first career save.
“It was a tough game,” Santana said. “We were winning 2-1 in the eighth inning. Eaton hit a home run, but we came back and we won. It was very important.”
Up next
The Royals begin a stretch of 10 consecutive home games on Monday with their first night game of the season, the opening game of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels. Right-hander Brady Singer will start the opener for the Royals, while right-hander Dylan Bundy will start for the Angels.
Danny Duffy and Brad Keller, respectively, will start the second and third games of the series. The Royals will host the Toronto Blue Jays for four games and the Tampa Bay Rays for three more following the Angels series.
This story was originally published April 11, 2021 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Carlos Santana, Andrew Benintendi rescue Royals in extra innings win over White Sox."
