White Sox Fall To Royals 3-1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jeremy Guthrie, Wade Davis and Greg Holland combined on a four-hitter and the Kansas City Royals rallied in the ninth inning to beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 Wednesday night and avoid being swept in their three-game series.
The White Sox had scored 14 runs and hit five home runs in the first two games.
Guthrie, who is winless in seven starts since an April 9 victory over Tampa Bay, left after seven innings with the score 1-1. He gave up three hits, walked two and struck out two.
Wade Davis (3-1) struck out two in a flawless eighth and has tossed 10 scoreless innings in his last nine appearances. Greg Holland logged his 13th save in 14 chances, but not before giving up a single to Dayan Viciedo and walking Adam Dunn in the ninth.
The Royals snapped a 1-1 tie in the ninth when Nori Aoki scored on Billy Butler's sacrifice fly. Aoki started the one-out rally with a bunt single on a two-strike count. He advanced to third on Alcides Escobar's single. Eric Hosmer was walked intentionally to load the bases, and Aoki scored on Butler's fly to right.
Danny Valencia then walked on five pitches, scoring Escobar with the second run of the inning.
Paul Konerko, who leads all active visiting players with 149 RBIs at Kauffman Stadium, singled to left in the second to score Alexei Ramirez for the Chicago's run.
The Royals tied it in the third when Aoki's groundball single to left scored Pedro Ciriaco.
The Royals wasted a chance to take the lead in the fourth when they loaded the bases with one out on singles by Butler, Valencia and Lorenzo Cain. Ciriaco, however, rolled the first pitch back to the mound and left-hander Jose Quintana started an inning ending double play.
Quintana (2-4) took the loss, charged with three runs on eight hits over 7 1-3 innings.
NOTES: RHP Matt Lindstrom, who tops the White Sox with six saves, will have left ankle surgery to repair a torn sheath Friday and is expected to be out three months. RHP Ronald Belisario will close out White Sox games in Lindstrom's absence. . White Sox LHP Chris Sale will come off the disabled list Thursday and start against the Yankees, his first outing since April 17. . The Royals' 20 home runs rank last in the majors.
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