Royals 9, White Sox 1: Luis Mendoza pitched 5 2/3 innings of emergency relief as visiting Kansas City pounded the Chicago bullpen to pull away in the rubber match of the series.

When elbow tightness knocked Royals starter Danny Duffy out of the game after just three batters, Mendoza (2-2) came in and worked into the seventh inning. He limited the White Sox to one run on seven hits and a pair of walks.

Mendoza departed with a 2-1 lead after Johnny Giavotella stroked a two-run double off Matt Thornton (1-3) with one out in the top of the seventh. Five more Kansas City relievers combined to hold Chicago scoreless the rest of the way.

Jeff Francoeur hit a solo homer in the eighth inning and Kansas City put the game away with six runs in the ninth.

Chicago reliever Addison Reed uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Alcides Escobar to score, then hit Billy Butler with the bases loaded to push another run across. Francoeur, Irving Falu and Escobar each tacked on an RBI single before the surge ended.

Chicago starter Philip Humber scattered four hits and struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings. Paul Konerko drove in the lone run for the White Sox on a third-inning single.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Duffy threw just 13 pitches before exiting, retiring two hitters ... Escobar was 3-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored ... Kansas City, which is 11-6 since its 12-game losing streak in April, is 9-7 on the road this season ... Reed was charged with six runs in just one-third of an inning, allowing three hits, walking two and hitting a batter ... White Sox manager Robin Ventura announced that DH/1B Adam Dunn will likely play in left field during next weekend's crosstown series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.