White Sox 12, Royals 0
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Adam Eaton and Tyler Flowers each belted three-run homers as the Chicago White Sox thumped the Kansas City Royals 12-0 Friday night.
Eaton and Alexei Ramirez each had four hits, matching their career highs.
Center fielder Eaton hit a three-run shot in the five-run eighth. Immediately after Eaton went deep off Jeremy Guthrie, first baseman Jose Abreu homered.
The 17-hit offensive outburst made it easy for left-hander John Danks to pick up his seventh victory and his first since Aug. 1.
Danks limited the Royals to seven hits. He lost his shut-out bid in the ninth when Alcides Escobar scored on Kendrys Morales' sacrifice fly, his 99th RBI.
Right-hander Kris Medlen, who won his first two starts since inserted into the Royals' rotation, gave up three runs in the first inning and another three in the fourth inning.
The White Sox punched out four singles in the opening inning. Center fielder Adam Eaton set the tone by singling on Medlen's first pitch. First baseman Jose Abreu, the next batter, also singled, moving Eaton to third.
Medlen made a nice play, snagging left fielder Melky Cabrera's high chopper with a backhand and throwing out Eaton at the plate.
But Medlen gave up a RBI-single to right fielder Avisail Garcia and a two-run single to shortstop Alexei Ramirez before coaxing second baseman Carlos Sanchez to ground into an inning-ending double play.
In the Royals' second, rookie third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert doubled with two outs, but was thrown out by Cabrera when third base coach Mike Jirschele waved him home on left fielder Paulo Orlando's single.
Catcher Tyler Flowers homered in the fourth with Ramirez and Sanchez aboard after singling. Flowers' ninth home run gave the White Sox a 6-0 lead.
White Sox left-hander John Danks limited the Royals to three hits and no runs over the first five innings.
NOTES: Royals 3B Mike Moustakas was out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive game with a hamstring injury. Manager Ned Yost said he anticipates Moustakas will return Sunday. ... Royals OF Alex Rios and RHP Kelvin Herrera, who have chickenpox, worked out early at Kauffman Stadium and exited before the rest of the players arrived. ... The White Sox are 24-26 in one-run games, having the most one-run decisions this season in the majors. ... Willie Reed, who signed with the NBA Brooklyn Nets in July and went to Bishop Miege High School in the Kansas City area, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... LHPs Jose Quintana of the White Sox and Danny Duffy of the Royals are the pitching probables Saturday.