CHICAGO -- Melky Cabrera hit a fly ball to foul territory in shallow left field. Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas raced back. Left fielder Alex Gordon ran in.
In a 3-2 loss to the White Sox on Sunday, the Royals didn't leave town with a sweep, but they did come away with some bruises.
Neither player caught the foul ball in the seventh inning, but Gordon and Moustakas collided knee to knee, leaving both players on the ground for several seconds. Gordon took a hard fall into the tarp. Pitcher Luke Hochevar raced into the outfield to check on his teammates. Gordon and Moustakas stayed in the game, but the Royals pinch-hit Whit Merrifield for Gordon in the top of the eighth.
After the game, the Royals announced Gordon is day to day with a sprained right wrist, but he was cleared of head injuries. Moustakas -- who was activated Saturday from a disabled-list stint for a left thumb fracture -- is said to be fine.
Though it could have been much worse, the collision was still a hold-your-breath moment. Gordon has started slow, hitting .211, but he remains an undeniably valuable part of the Royals' lineup.
"Yeah," first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "You don't want to see those guys go down, especially two of them."
The Royals came into Sunday hoping to complete a three-game sweep against the division-leading White Sox. But despite the less-than-idyllic end to the series, Kansas City still heads to Minnesota with a positive vibe. The Royals have won five of their past seven games, and the series victory over the White Sox was only their second series win away from home this season.
"You always want to win the series," manager Ned Yost said. "That's your main goal. … We didn't have a lot of missed opportunities that I'm lamenting right now. It was a good job."
And with Moustakas back in the lineup and Gordon likely staying in it, the Royals' roll could be far from over.
"Extremely encouraged," Hosmer said. "I think we're all used to how these seasons go. When you get hot, you just kind of ride that streak on out. We still feel like we haven't gotten hot as a team. We've still pulled off some wins, but we feel that we can swing it a little better, pitch it a little better, and the best baseball is yet to come."