CHICAGO — On the seventh pitch of the at-bat and the 22nd of the inning, Daniel Lynch hurled a heater on the bottom corner of the strike zone to White Sox center fielder Adam Engel. The bases were loaded with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, and the crowd at Guaranteed Rate Field was on its feet hoping the Royals’ one-run lead would flip over to the home team.

Lynch’s 96 mph sinker made sure it did not. Engel swung through to end the inning and send Lynch fist-pumping his way off the mound.

It was a defining moment for the 24-year-old lefty — and a defining moment for the Royals in their 3-2 win on Thursday night, clinching their second straight series win over Chicago after taking three of four last week.

Emmanuel Rivera and Edward Olivares, both 25, contributed to the scoring Thursday night with Rivera’s two-out, two-run double in the first inning and Olivares’ second homer in as many days in the seventh inning.