White Sox 5, Royals 4
Tyler Flowers hit a two-run homer and Chris Sale bounced back from a rough patch as host Chicago held off Kansas City.
Dayan Viciedo and Paul Konerko each added solo blasts and Alexei Ramirez doubled in a run for the White Sox, who snapped a six-game losing streak against the Royals while boosting their lead in the American League Central to two games over Detroit. The Tigers dropped a 6-1 decision to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.
Sale (16-6), who had been pounded for eight runs over a combined 10 innings in back-to-back losses, was sharp against Kansas City - surrendering one run on five hits while striking out six in as many innings. The left-hander did not yield a home run for the first time since July 15 - a span of eight starts.
The Royals made it interesting with two runs in the ninth, but struggling closer Addison Reed struck out Lorenzo Cain with the tying run on second to pick up his 26th save.
Chicago had little trouble solving Bruce Chen (10-12). Viciedo started it off in the first inning by belting a first-pitch sinker the opposite way out to right field for his 20th home run.
Kansas City tied it with a run in the top of the third but the White Sox got that run back immediately on Ramirez’s double in the bottom of the frame and earned some breathing room in the fourth on Flowers’ blast. The slugging catcher followed A.J. Pierzynski’s single with his seventh homer.
Konerko tacked on his 22nd home run in the sixth to make it a 5-1 cushion.
Chen was charged with all five runs on six hits in six innings.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Kansas City has 11 games left against the White Sox and the Tigers. … Royals C Salvador Perez went 1-for-13 to extend his career-long hitting streak to 13 games. He made his first career start at DH on Saturday. … Chicago DH Adam Dunn (oblique) miss his second straight game. … White Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis is expected to rejoin the team on Sunday after flying home for the birth of his child. … Reed has allowed at least one run in six of his last seven appearances.