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 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 13 | 0 |
| KC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 0 |
The Story
The Chicago White Sox defeated the Kansas City Royals 14-11 on September 22, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in a high-scoring affair that saw the DiamondIQ model's estimate of a home win probability drop from 45 percent before first pitch to zero percent by the final out. Chicago built its lead methodically through the early innings, scoring twice in the first, adding another in the second, and pushing three more across in the third before Kansas City could mount any sustained response. The White Sox then delivered the decisive blow in the seventh, plating five runs to extend what had been a manageable margin into an insurmountable advantage, even as Kansas City scored three in the eighth and four in the ninth to make the final line closer than the game's trajectory suggested.
The two biggest swings in win probability both came off the bat of visiting hitters against Royals starter Daniel Lynch IV. Chase Meidroth's third-inning home run shifted the win probability 13.3 percent in Chicago's favor and stood as the single most impactful play of the game, while Randal Grichuk's fourth-inning home run off Lynch added another 6.6 percent swing for the White Sox. Meidroth finished as the top performer by WPA at plus 13.1 percent with a RE24 of plus 3.9, followed closely by Grichuk at plus 10.0 percent WPA and plus 3.8 RE24. On the Kansas City side, Nick Loftin was the most impactful bat at plus 5.2 percent WPA, though Michael Massey's groundout in the second inning carried a minus 6.6 percent swing, representing the Royals' single costliest plate appearance.
On the pitching side, Anthony Kay led all pitchers with a WPA of plus 8.6 percent, providing the foundation for a Chicago staff that also received contributions from Noah Schultz at plus 4.2 percent WPA and Alex Lange at zero percent. Both teams finished with 13 hits and committed no errors, meaning the outcome was shaped almost entirely by the timing and context of the White Sox offense against a Kansas City rotation that could not contain the damage early enough to protect a lead that never fully materialized.