KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yuniesky Betancourt hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, then delivered a two-out single in the 11th that gave the Kansas City Royals a 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday night.
The second game of the twi-nighter was set to start shortly after 10 p.m.
Betancourt’s third grand slam of the season tied a Royals record set by Danny Tartabull in 1988. Betancourt and Alex Rodriguez are the only major leaguers with three slams this season.
Wilson Betemit drew a leadoff walk from rookie Chris Sale (0-1) in the 11th, moved up on Alex Gordon’s sacrifice and stopped at third on Mike Aviles’ two-out single. Betancourt’s single to center won it.
Jesse Chavez (2-1), the fourth Kansas City pitcher, worked two scoreless innings to earn the victory.
White Sox starter Freddy Garcia held the Royals to four hits and one run — Betemit’s leadoff homer in the fifth — through six innings.
In the seventh, Garcia walked Billy Butler and gave up two-out singles to Willie Bloomquist and Aviles. Sergio Santos relieved Garcia and gave up Betancourt’s grand slam on his second pitch.
The White Sox threatened in the 10th, but pinch-runner Brent Lillibridge was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Carlos Quentin’s double to right-center.
Royals right-hander Phil Humber, making his first big league start since Sept. 26, 2007, with the New York Mets, allowed five runs on nine hits, while striking out six in 5 2-3 innings.
Humber had not pitched since a relief appearance on Aug. 10. He was primarily a starter this season with Triple-A Omaha.
Juan Pierre, who leads the majors with 49 stolen bases, led off the White Sox third with an infield single, swiped second and scored on Omar Vizquel’s single. The White Sox made it 2-1 in the fifth when Pierre’s single scored A.J. Pierzynski.
The White Sox upped their lead to 5-1 in the sixth with Gordon Beckham driving in two runs with a two-out single.

Orioles 8, Rangers 6

BALTIMORE — Rookie Josh Bell hit his first two major league home runs, part of an unprecedented long-ball barrage against Cliff Lee that carried the Baltimore Orioles past the slumping Texas Rangers 8-6 Saturday.
Ty Wigginton and Luke Scott also connected against Lee, who never before yielded four homers in a game. The left-hander has given up 13 home runs this season — seven against Baltimore.
Yankees 9, Mariners 5
NEW YORK — Eduardo Nunez drove in the go-ahead run with his first career hit in the seventh inning, and the New York bullpen patched together six stellar innings in a victory over Seattle.
Nunez got the start in place of Alex Rodriguez, who was placed on the disabled list with a lingering left calf injury — not that it has mattered much this season. The Yankees improved to 11-0 when the slugger doesn’t play, according to STATS LLC.