CHICAGO (Interstat) — Randal Grichuk homered and drove in four runs as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Thursday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The White Sox won for the third straight time against Kansas City, improving to 22-21. The Royals fell to 19-25.

Grichuk provided the game’s defining swing in the bottom of the first inning. After the Royals had taken a 1-0 lead in the top half, Grichuk crushed a two-run homer to left-center field off Kansas City starter Kris Bubic, scoring Munetaka Murakami and putting the White Sox ahead 2-1. It was Grichuk’s third home run of the season.

The left fielder added a two-run single in the third inning, again with two outs, extending Chicago’s lead to 4-1. Grichuk finished 2-for-3.

Chicago starter Anthony Kay earned the win, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings while striking out four. Kay improved to 3-1. Sean Newcomb pitched the final two innings for his first save, allowing one hit and striking out one.

The Royals struck first in the opening inning. Maikel Garcia led off with a single and moved to third on a Bobby Witt Jr. single. Lane Thomas then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Garcia for a 1-0 lead. But the White Sox answered immediately.

After a scoreless second, the White Sox added two more runs in the third. Chase Meidroth walked, Miguel Vargas singled and Murakami walked to load the bases. Grichuk followed with a line-drive single to center that scored Meidroth and Vargas, making it 4-1.

Chicago padded its lead in the fourth. Luisangel Acuña singled, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Meidroth’s single to center, pushing the margin to 5-1.

Kansas City cut the deficit to 5-2 in the seventh. Kyle Isbel tripled to left field and scored on a Maikel Garcia groundout. But the Royals could not sustain the rally. Kay retired the next two batters, and Newcomb set down the side in order in the eighth and ninth.

The White Sox tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. Pinch hitter Sam Antonacci doubled and scored on a single by Derek Hill, who was later caught stealing to end the inning.

Bubic took the loss, falling to 3-2. He allowed five runs on seven hits over four innings, walking three and striking out five. The Royals bullpen combined for three innings of one-run relief, with Luinder Avila throwing two scoreless innings and Alex Lange adding a hitless frame.

Kansas City managed seven hits, including two from Salvador Perez. Chicago had eight hits led by Grichuk and Meidroth, who each had two.

The White Sox grounded into two double plays but overcame those outs with timely hitting. Kansas City left five runners on base.

Attendance was 14,913. The game lasted 2 hours, 29 minutes.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Chicago 6, Kansas City 5. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Royals a 55.70 percent probability to win, and Kansas City was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of eight runs went over the over-under line of 8.5.