Royals Put Away White Sox

Ten days in Nebraska did wonders for Chris Fussell.

Banished to Triple-A Omaha last month with sinking confidence and an unsightly 6.19 ERA, Fussell returned Friday night to replace injured ace Jose Rosado and went seven strong innings as the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 5-1.

Fussell (2-1), who had never gone more than six innings, tied his career-best with six strikeouts and allowed only six hits, including Carlos Lee's second-inning home run.

"Early on, I had a little control problem," he said. "But I went to my curveball a little more and started throwing it over the plate. And that made my fastball better."

"It was kind of a shock," Fussell said. "Now, I need to go out there again and do what I did tonight and show them I belong here."

Joe Randa had three hits and two RBIs, and Mike Sweeney doubled, homered and drove in two runs for the Royals, who raised their home record to a league-best 12-4. Randa has 12 RBIs in his last 10 games.

Rosado went on the DL with tendinitis in his left shoulder, a blow to the pitching-thin Royals.

"Jose Rosado is our best pitcher, the ace of our staff," said Sweeney. "For him to go on the DL, it was almost like a knokout blow for our pitching staff. But we caught our breath. And after this outing tonight by Chris Fussell, our pitching staff seems strong."

Fussell benefited from two double plays and was saved from possibly a huge inning when first baseman Dave McCarty made a fine stop of Greg Norton's hot grounder with the bases loaded and two out in the third.

"That's the play of the game right there," said Fussell, who got his second major league win and first as a starter.

Jose Santiago finished with two-hit relief.

"Their pitcher was pretty good," said Chicago right fielder Jeff Abbott. "He located it pretty well. But they played really good defense."

Cal Eldred (2-1), trying to win three consecutive starts for the first time since 1994, allowed five runs and 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings.

Johnny Damon doubled in the first inning the eighth straight game he's led off with a hit - and scored on Sweeney's double.

Kansas City made it 3-1 in the third on Mark Quinn's run-scoring double and Randa's RBI single. In the fifth, Carlos Febles singled, stole second and scored on Randa's single.

Lee hit a solo home run in the second for the White Sox, who hit five home runs on Wednesday against Toronto.

Sweeney hit an 0-2 pitch for an opposite-field homer in the seventh. Jermaine Dye then chased Eldred with his league-leading 13th double.

Notes