White Sox 6, Royals 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Alexei Ramirez and Geovany Soto homered and left-hander Jose Quintana pitched seven strong innings as the Chicago White Sox topped the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Saturday night for their third straight victory.
Ramirez ripped a three-run blast in the fourth inning and catcher Soto connected in the seventh for his ninth home run of the season.
Quintana (8-10) allowed seven hits in seven shutout innings. He walked none and struck out four.
Danny Duffy (7-7), who served up both home runs, took the loss. He was excused after 103 pitches and seven innings, allowing four runs, seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.
Left fielder Alex Gordon's infield single, his third hit of the game, in the eighth scored center fielder Lorenzo Cain for the lone Kansas City.
Center fielder Adam Eaton and designated hitter Melky Cabrera stroked RBI singles in the ninth as the White Sox increased their advantage.
Ramirez homered in the fourth after first baseman Jose Abreu walked for the second time and right fielder Avisail Garcia's infield single, which was deflected by Duffy.
Ramirez, who had four hits Friday, turned on a 1-2 Duffy pitch and drove it out to left center, putting the White Sox ahead 3-0.
The Royals got two runners to third base in the second and third but failed to score.
Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales doubled into the left-field corner to lead off the second and then stopped at third on Gordon's single. Morales started home on third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert's grounder to Abreu but was trapped in a rundown and tagged out by third baseman Tyler Saladino.
In the third, Escobar doubled with one out and advanced to third on Cain's groundout. Escobar was stranded there when first baseman Eric Hosmer flied out to right.
Gordon doubled with one out in the second but advanced no farther.
NOTES: The White Sox acquired 3B Mike Olt off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Olt has a .158 batting average in 111 career games with the Cubs and Texas Rangers. He was in the Cubs' Opening Day lineup but suffered a broken right wrist in his sixth game. ... Royals 3B Mike Moustakas was not in the lineup for the fifth straight game with a hamstring issue, but manager Ned Yost said he would likely start Sunday. ... Royals LF Alex Gordon has not committed an error since Aug. 2, 2014. ... White Sox RHP Erik Johnson and Royals RHP Johnny Cueto are the probables for the Sunday series finale.