White Sox 2, Royals 2, susp.
CHICAGO -- A steady rain Friday night made conditions at U.S. Cellular Field unplayable, stopping the game between the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals in the top of the ninth inning with the score tied 2-2.
Under Major League Baseball rules, play will resume 2:10 p.m. EST Saturday before the originally scheduled game, which will begin shortly after the conclusion of Friday night's game. Rain is expected throughout the day.
Rain intensified in the sixth inning, but umpires allowed the game to continue despite the White Sox grounds crew making trips out to put dirt down every half-inning until the teams were pulled off the field before the start of the ninth inning.
The game was suspended after a 40-minute delay.
The infield was covered by a tarp, held in place by eight vehicles to keep the infield from getting any worse as the rain continued to fall.
The White Sox drew even in the bottom of the seventh. Center fielder Adam Eaton, who was at the center of the bench-clearing brawl a night earlier, tripled to lead off the inning, driving the ball to the wall between Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain and left fielder Alex Gordon.
Eaton scored easily on left fielder Melky Cabrera's sacrifice fly that chased Royals right fielder Paulo Orlando to the foul line. Orlando made the catch, but his throw to the plate was up the third-base line.
The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the third after Orlando led off with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice by second baseman Omar Infante and scored on shortstop Alcides Escobar's single.
The White Sox threatened in their half of the third, putting runners on second and third with one out. But when first baseman Jose Abreu grounded sharply back to Royals starting pitcher Danny Duffy, Kansas City got second baseman Micah Johnson caught in a rundown between third base and home plate, keeping the White Sox from tying the score.
Duffy struck out right fielder Avisail Garcia, stranding Eaton at third.
Abreu remained in the game after getting tangled with Escobar in the Royals' third while Escobar was attempting to steal second base. Abreu remained on the ground for a few minutes before a White Sox trainer used smelling salts.
The White Sox erased the one-run deficit in the fourth when shortstop Alexei Ramirez reached on a two-base throwing error by Escobar. Ramirez scored on a groundout by catcher Tyler Flowers.
Kansas City took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Orlando delivered a one-out single -- his second hit in as many at-bats. The sharp liner scored Gordon, who had led off the inning with a walk.
NOTES: The Royals recalled LHP Brandon Finnegan from Double-A Northwest Arkansas and optioned INF Orlando Calixte to Triple-A Omaha. Finnegan reported to the Royals for their game against the Chicago White Sox after making two minor league starts, going 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA. Manager Ned Yost said Finnegan will return to the relief role he filled last year, when he made seven appearances and went 0-1. ... White Sox LHP Chris Sale and RHP Jeff Samardzija said they're unsure if Major League Baseball will suspend them for their roles in the bench-clearing brawl Thursday against the Royals in which five players were ejected. Samardzija, who picked up his first win with the White Sox on Wednesday, said he understands the importance of Chicago's top two pitchers not missing time. "We need to pitch every game we can," he said.