Power surge lifts Royals over White Sox
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kendrys Morales, Paulo Orlando and Alcides Escobar homered as the Kansas City Royals topped the Chicago White Sox 8-3 on Monday.
Morales' three-run homer in a four-run fifth gave the Royals a six-run cushion and sent White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon to the showers.
Whit Merrifield doubled home Billy Burns with the first run of the inning. Burns reached base four times – three singles and hit by a pitch.
Morales has 10 RBIs on this homestand.
Yordano Ventura (11-11) went the distance for his second complete-game, but his first in a win. He held the White Sox to three runs and nine hits, throwing 106 pitches, 72 for strikes. He gave up solo home runs to Jose Abreu and Carlos Sanchez.
Rodon (7-10) gave up six runs on eight hits to absorb the loss.
Justin Morneau, who was making his first start in a week, doubled with one out in the White Sox second and scored on Todd Frazier's single to center.
Frazier, however, made a base running faux pas that would end up costing the White Sox two runs. Frazier broke too fast for second base and Ventura ran toward him, faking a few throws, before tossing to first baseman Eric Hosmer, who tagged out Frazier.
After that, Avisail Garcia tripled to the right-center gap, which would have scored Frazier. Omar Narvaez's ground out to second baseman Merrifield ended the inning, instead of being the second out and getting Garcia home.
Orlando and Escobar, who are not known for their power, hit solo shots in the bottom of the second. Orlando hit a Rodon 91 mph fastball out to left-center for his fifth home run and his first since Aug. 14, a span of 100 at-bats.
Two batters later, Escobar went deep for his sixth home run, which is a season high. He hit five in 2012.
Abreu tied it in the fourth when he annihilated a Ventura 98 mph fastball, sending it an estimated 451 feet to straight away center. It was Abreu's 25th home run, giving him 96 RBIs.
NOTES: Royals 3B Cheslor Cuthbert, who is in a 6-for-46 slide, was not in the lineup. He was replaced by Christian Colon. ... Chicago DH Justin Morneau was back in the lineup, batting fifth, after missing the previous six games with a stiff neck. ... White Sox IF Tyler Saladino did not start for the third straight game because of a tender left calf. ... The Royals will open their final trip Tuesday with three games at Cleveland and three at Detroit, the two teams in front of them in the AL Central standings. ... White Sox RHP James Shields and Phillies RHP Jake Thompson are the probables Tuesday at Philadelphia. ... Royals RHP Edinson Volquez and Indians RHP Josh Tomlin are the probables at Cleveland on Tuesday.