The Chicago White Sox made it interesting in the ninth inning, but it wasn't enough as they lost their sixth straight game in a defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Royals.
The White Sox trailed 7-2 entering the ninth inning, and got a pinch hit home run from AJ Reed with two outs, but it wasn't enough as they dropped their sixth straight post-All Star Game contest.
In his first game with the White Sox, outfielder Ryan Goins smacked a two-run home run, but that was all the offense the Sox could muster in their sixth straight defeat.
Pitcher Iván Nova gave up six earned runs in 4.2 innings of work while walking five batters and striking out just two as he took his ninth loss of the season.
On the opposite side of the field, Danny Duffy pitched six innings and gave up two runs while scattering six hits, and he struck out five batters in the game.
The Royals wasted no time in jumping on Nova, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. Jorge Soler singled to left field to drive in Alex Gordon, and Nicky Lopez hit an RBI single of his own to drive in Hunter Dozier to give Kansas City a two-run cushion off the bat.
Nova kept the White Sox in the game until the fifth inning when he surrendered four more runs to the Royals. Dozier coaxed a bases loaded walk to score Kansas City’s third run, and Soler came through with another RBI single to drive in a pair of runs. Lopez finished off the scoring with a single to center field, driving in Dozier and giving the Royals a six-run advantage.
Chicago Baseball
The White Sox finally got on the board in the sixth inning thanks to Goins, who smacked a home run into the bullpen in right field to make it a 6-2 game, but it wasn’t enough, as the Royals scored an insurance run in the eighth inning on a Whit Merrifield RBI single to seal the victory.
The Royals will go for the four-game sweep on Thursday when they play the White Sox again. Ross Detwiler will take the ball for the White Sox in the game, which is set to start at 12:15 p.m.
