The Royals got a big boost from the middle of their lineup on Thursday in a 7-5 win over the White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Emil Brown, Angel Berroa and John Buck, who hit in the 4th, 5th and 6th spots, were a combined 8-for-14 with six RBI’s.

Starter Zack Greinke got into trouble in the second and third innings, when Jermaine Dye hit a solo home run and Carl Everett drove in a run with a single. But Brown and Berroa drove in runs with a double and a sacrifice fly in the third inning to tie it at 2-2.

Brown gave the Royals the lead with a single in the seventh. Then, Buck doubled in two more runs. Aaron Guiel capped the four-run rally by walking with the bases loaded.

Greinke allowed just two runs, but was pulled after the sixth, before the Royals could rally, and didn’t get the win. That went to Ambiorix Burgos, who was charged with two of the three runs Chicago scored, when Tadahito Iguchi cleared the base paths with a three-run double off Andrew Sisco. That cut the lead to 6-5.

Berroa gave his team some insurance with an RBI single in the eighth. Mike MacDougal pitched an inning and a third and got his 19th save of the season.