Chicago White Sox at Kansas City Royals: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CWS | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 2 |
| KC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
The Story
The Kansas City Royals rallied past the Chicago White Sox 7-6 on September 5, 2023, at Kauffman Stadium in a game that swung dramatically in the final inning. The DiamondIQ model entered the game giving the Royals only a 47% chance of winning at home, but closed at 100% following a chaotic ninth inning that erased what had been a commanding Chicago lead. The White Sox had staked out a 5-0 advantage after a five-run second inning and carried a 6-3 edge into the bottom of the ninth, but Kansas City manufactured four runs off closer Gregory Santos to complete the comeback.
The decisive sequence in the ninth inning produced two of the three largest win-probability swings of the game. A balk charged to Santos moved a runner into scoring position and added 33.4 percentage points to Kansas City's win probability, the second-largest single play of the contest. Bobby Witt Jr. then delivered the biggest swing of the night, a double that shifted win probability by 37.7 points and drove in the go-ahead run. Salvador Perez had a chance to extend the damage further but lined out, costing the Royals 20.5 percentage points, though by that point the lead was secured. Earlier, a flyout by Michael Massey in the second inning with runners on had suppressed a Kansas City threat, representing a 13.4-point negative swing that kept the White Sox in firm control through much of the contest.
Edward Olivares led all batters with a WPA of plus 30.6% and a RE24 of plus 1.4, benefiting directly from the Santos balk and contributing to the ninth-inning frame. Witt Jr. followed at plus 28.0% WPA, while Michael Massey posted plus 16.0% WPA and a RE24 of plus 1.2 despite the costly flyout, suggesting meaningful contributions elsewhere in his line. On the pitching side, Aaron Bummer was the most valuable White Sox arm with plus 25.4% WPA, limiting Kansas City through a critical stretch of middle relief, while Kansas City's Angel Zerpa contributed plus 18.4% WPA in his own appearance. The Royals finished with 10 hits and committed no errors, while Chicago stranded considerable opportunity despite generating 13 hits across the defeat.