White Sox 7, Royals 6: Alexei Ramirez recorded four RBIs and Paul Konerko hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning as visiting Chicago rallied from an early five-run deficit to defeat Kansas City.

Ramirez and Dayan Viciedo also went deep for the White Sox, who won for only the third time in their last nine games. Zach Putnam (2-0) fired two scoreless innings in relief of starter Scott Carroll while Jake Petricka registered his first career save by getting the final two outs as pinch runner Jarrod Dyson was caught stealing and Billy Butler grounded out after Kansas City put two runners on to begin the ninth.

Jason Vargas (4-2) surrendered seven runs for the second time in four outings on eight hits in 4 2/3 frames and served up all three of Chicago’s home runs. Butler had three hits while Norichika Aoki, Alcides Escobar and Eric Hosmer added two apiece and combined to score four runs.

Each of the first five Kansas City hitters reached and scored against Carroll in the opening frame as the Royals jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Hosmer’s two-run double, Butler’s RBI base hit and Lorenzo Cain’s two-run single. The Royals left the bases loaded in the second and the White Sox began chipping away in the third, when Ramirez drove a 2-2 changeup from Vargas into the Kansas City bullpen.

Viciedo continued to trim the deficit in the top of the fourth with a home run to left, but Hosmer got back the run in the bottom half with a single to right. The White Sox made their final push during a three-run fifth as Ramirez made it 6-5 with an RBI groundout and Konerko made Vargas pay for a walk to Adam Dunn with a drive to straightaway center.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Vargas last allowed up three homers in a start on Aug. 24, 2012, also against the White Sox. … Carroll, who gave up six runs on nine hits and three walks over four innings on Monday, has allowed 18 runs and 31 hits over his last three outings. … Ten of the last 40 meetings between the Royals and White Sox at Kauffman Stadium have been extra-inning affairs.