Rios, Moustakas Homer To Lead Royals Past White Sox In Opener Of Doubleheader
CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Rios and Mike Moustakas homered, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox, 4-2, on Friday in Game 1 of a day-night doubleheader.
On a scorching afternoon when the ball was carrying, the AL Central leaders took out a team showing some spark after struggling most of the way.
Moustakas hit a solo homer in the fifth to give the Royals a 2-1 lead, and Rios capped a two-run sixth with his drive off Jeff Samardzija (6-5) after Chicago tied it.
All-Star Lorenzo Cain had two hits, including an RBI double for the Royals. He is 21 for 42 in his past 11 games.
Chris Young (8-5) gave up two runs and three hits, including solo homers to Geovany Soto and Adam Eaton, in five innings.
Four relievers combined to shut down the White Sox the rest of the way. Closer Greg Holland gave up a pinch-hit single to Emilio Bonifacio with one out in the ninth before J.B. Shuck forced the runner and Tyler Saladino grounded out to end the game. Holland picked up his 20th save in 22 chances.
Samardzija gave up four runs and seven hits in seven innings. And the White Sox dropped their second straight after winning nine of 11.
Chicago had just tied it at 2 on Eaton's homer in the fifth when the Royals scored two in the sixth.
Eric Hosmer led off with a double and scored from third on Omar Infante's double-play grounder. Rios then made it 4-2 with his second homer of the season, and first since opening day against the White Sox.
Reliever Ryan Madson escaped a second-and-third jam in the bottom half when retired Alexei Ramirez and Soto on back-to-back grounders.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: RHP Kris Medlen (elbow) rejoined the team and the team will decide in the next two or three days whether to activate him. He is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery and has not pitched in the majors since 2013, when he won 15 games for Atlanta.
White Sox: GM Rick Hahn said RHP Matt Albers (fractured right pinky finger) and RHP Nate Jones, recovering from Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow, are progressing in their rehabilitation. RHP Jesse Crain (shoulder), who has not pitched in the majors since 2013, had a setback in an Arizona League game last week and it's not clear when his next outing will be.
UP NEXT
RHP Edinson Volquez (8-4, 3.31 ERA) starts the second game for Kansas City, with LHP John Danks (4-8, 5.30) pitching for Chicago.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
