Morel's RBI Shuts Down Royals In 12th Inning
The White Sox were trailing heading into the ninth inning and were able to come back to send the game into extra innings. Brent Morel singled in the 12th to send Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez across the plate. One more run from the Sox shut the Royals down 10-7.
Carlos Quentin and the Chicago White Sox pulled off a two-out rally in the ninth inning against All-Star closer Joakim Soria, then Brent Morel hit a go-ahead single in the 12th that beat the Kansas City Royals 10-7 Wednesday.
The energetic Royals were in position to improve to 5-1 after Soria retired the first two batters in the ninth with a 6-3 lead. But Alex Rios and Paul Konerko hit RBI singles and Quentin's two-run double capped a four-run comeback for a 7-6 edge.
Kansas City tied it on Kila Ka'aihue's RBI double off Matt Thornton, setting up the Royals' third straight extra-inning game.
Quentin doubled to start the 12th. He had four hits, including a home run and two doubles. After a bunt single, and an intentional walk, Morel hit a two-run single off Sean O'Sullivan. Juan Pierre added a sacrifice fly as the White Sox won despite making four errors.
Winner Chris Sale (1-0) went two innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.
The Royals had won their previous four games all in their final at-bat, and had their chances in this one, too. Kansas City had runners at first and second with one out in the ninth and didn't score, and put runners at the corners with one out in the 11th without getting a run.
Royals starter Jeff Francis had a six-hit shutout going until Ramon Castro homered on a 3-1 pitch with two out in the seventh. Francis was lifted after Morel singled, and Pierre hit an RBI triple off rookie reliever Tim Collins.
White Sox starter Mark Buehrle went five innings and gave up five runs. He allowed eight hits and had two strikeouts.
Alex Gordon had an RBI double in the first inning and scored on Billy Butler's single for a 2-0 lead off Buehrle. Elcides Escobar's RBI double made it 3-0 in the fourth and was followed by Brayan Pena's RBI single and an RBI ground out by Mike Aviles.
Quentin homered off Robinson Tejada in the eighth.
With two out in the Kansas City eighth, Chris Getz scored from first when left fielder Mark Teahen dropped Mike Aviles' fly ball for the third Chicago error.
The White Sox stranded runners at first and third in both the fourth and fifth innings.
NOTES: Chicago DH Adam Dunn underwent an emergency appendectomy Tuesday night and will be out about 5 days. ... Teahen, formerly of the Royals, pinch hit in the eighth for Chicago and got a nice hand from the crowd. He flied out. ... It was the fifth four-hit game for Quentin and his first since Aug. 5, 2008 against Detroit.
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