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CHICAGO (AP) -- Jeff Francoeur hit his first homer of the season, pinch-hitter Johnny Giavotella had a big, two-run double and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 9-1 on Sunday.

Alcides Escobar went 3 for 3 with two walks for Kansas City, which broke it open with six runs in the ninth inning. Francoeur also had an RBI single and made a nice play in right field.

Kansas City won for the fourth time in five games despite losing Danny Duffy to an apparent injury in the first inning. The left-hander faced three batters and recorded two outs before he trudged off the mound following a short discussion with manager Ned Yost and a trainer.

Luis Mendoza came in and pitched 5 2/3 innings, keeping the Royals in the game while they struggled to score against Philip Humber. Mendoza (2-2) allowed one run and seven hits, struck out four and walked two.

Humber broke out of his post-perfect game slump, pitching four-hit ball into the seventh inning, but the White Sox still lost for the fourth time in their last five home games.

Humber issued a one-out walk to Escobar in the seventh, but got Humberto Quintero to foul out before he was replaced by left-hander Matt Thornton (1-3) with the White Sox clinging to a 1-0 lead.

Jarrod Dyson then walked, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Giavotella followed with a double down the right-field line, giving the Royals the lead with his first hit of the season. The infielder is 1 for 10 in four games since he was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Humber struck out seven and walked three in his best start since his gem at Seattle on April 21. The 29-year-old right-hander was 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in his previous three outings.

Francoeur hit a drive to left off Nate Jones in the eighth for his first homer since Sept. 23 at U.S. Cellular Field. He also made a nice sliding catch on Brent Morel's drive to the warning track in the fourth before nearly doubling off Tyler Flowers with a strong throw to first.

The White Sox put runners on first and second with one out in the eighth but Kosuke Fukudome struck out and fellow pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski bounced out to end the inning.