MJ Melendez homered and drove in four runs as the Kansas City Royals came from behind to beat the visiting Chicago White Sox 12-5 on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.

The Royals were buoyed by an eight-run sixth, breaking a 4-4 tie by sending 12 batters to the plate. Kansas City loaded the bases with no outs, chasing White Sox starter Dylan Cease (2-2) from the game.

Michael Massey greeted reliever Aaron Bummer with an RBI single to left, and Jackie Bradley Jr. followed with a two-run double to make it 7-4.

Massey and Bradley scored on Melendez’s single as Kansas City broke the game open. Nick Pratto added a bases-clearing double to cap the Royals’ biggest inning of the year.

Cease went five-plus innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out six. He is winless since beating the Minnesota Twins on April 10, posting an 8.25 ERA in five starts since then.

Andrew Vaughn delivered a two-run double in the third and Gavin Sheets hit a solo homer in the sixth to forge a 4-4 tie, one out before Zack Greinke was knocked from the game. Greinke allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk, striking out two.

The Royals got an early run as leadoff hitter Bobby Witt Jr. singled, stole second and later scored on Salvador Perez’s sacrifice fly.

Melendez’s fourth homer of the season, a two-run blast, tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth.

Bradley doubled leading off the fifth and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s one-out double. Bradley collected three hits on the night, while four other Royals contributed two to the 14-hit attack.

Jose Cuas (2-0), recalled from Triple-A Omaha before the game, earned the win by getting the final out of the sixth.

Kansas City reliever Amir Garrett fell ill on the mound and left the game after striking out Elvis Andrus to start the seventh.

— Field Level Media