CHICAGO (AP) Todd Frazier has resumed slugging away, and so have the rest of the Chicago White Sox.
Frazier had a pair of doubles and drove in three runs, Leury Garcia added a career-high three hits and the White Sox beat Kansas City 10-5 Tuesday night in their second straight one-sided win over the Royals.
Beset with assorted physical ailments this season, Frazier look a .119 batting average and one home run into the game.
“I’m good right now,” said Frazier, who lost 10 pounds in a recent bout with the flu. “I’m trying to lift (weights) as much as I can. Maybe just a little soreness from lifting so I can gain some muscle and weight back. Trying to eat as much as I can as well.”
A night after beating the Royals 12-1 and outhitting them 15-2, the White Sox outhit Kansas City 14-8. Chicago scored 10 or more runs in consecutive games for the first time since May 26-27, 2012.
“We had quite a few guys who put together some really good at-bats with two outs and two strikes in RBI-type situations,” manager Rick Renteria said. “They did a nice job tonight.”
Kansas City is 0-6 on a seven-game trip, its longest skid since losing eight consecutive games last June. Last in the AL Central at 7-13, the Royals are off to their worst 20-game start since opening 6-14 in 2012, when they finished 72-90.
Frazier’s sacrifice fly tied it in the third inning, and Chicago took a 4-2 lead in the fourth against Danny Duffy (2-1) when Omar Narvaez and Garcia hit consecutive doubles. Tim Anderson followed with an RBI single.
Frazier had a run-scoring double in the fifth and scored on Yolmer Sanchez’s triple. Narvaez hit a two-run single off Chris Young in the seventh for an 8-2 lead following a throwing error by third baseman Mike Moustakas on Sanchez’s two-out grounder. Frazier and Avisail Garcia had consecutive RBI doubles off Young in the eighth that made it 10-2.
Dan Jennings (2-0) retired all five batters he faced to win in relief of Dylan Covey, who threw 86 pitches over four innings in his third big league start. He allowed two runs and three hits.
Brandon Moss and Moustakas homered off Chris Beck in the ninth inning.
“That was nice to put some runs on the board late,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Maybe that will help get us going here a little bit.”
BALK SQUAWK
Afterward, a visibly upset Duffy vented for three minutes over plate umpire Bruce Dreckman’s balk call in the second inning, which he said altered his delivery.
“It was garbage,” said Duffy, who allowed six runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. “That’s something that you have to be looking for in order to make that call. I came to a full stop. … Now, it’s not sour grapes. I still need to locate, I still need to make pitches, but it was a terrible call.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST
In his first career start in the leadoff spot, Moustakas extended his hit streak to 11 games. He leads the team in home runs (seven) and RBIs (11).
“He’s swinging well. It’s that simple,” Yost said. “We’re just trying things.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: OF Jorge Soler (strained left oblique) hit his second homer in five games on an injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Omaha. “He’s feeling good,” said Yost, who offered no timetable for his return.
White Sox: RHP Zach Putnam (inflamed right elbow) was placed on the 10-day disabled list and Beck was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to take his place. … RHP Juan Minaya (strained right abdominal muscle) was sent to Charlotte on a rehab assignment. He has been on the DL since April 2.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Nathan Karns (0-1, 6.35) is to start Wednesday’s series finale. He is 0-1 with a 4.96 ERA in three starts versus the White Sox.
White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana (0-4, 6.17) has received an average of 0.8 runs of support in four starts.
Photo credit – Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press / Chicago, IL