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Kansas City gets 18 hits in 8-2 win over White Sox

Sep 12, 2010 - 4:28 AM CHICAGO(AP) -- The White Sox ran into Kyle Davies at the wrong time.

Davies pitched six solid innings, Gregor Blanco and Kila Ka'aihue each had three hits and the Kansas City Royals beat Chicago 8-2 on Saturday night.

Blanco and Ka'aihue each scored two runs as Kansas City roughed up Edwin Jackson (3-1) on its way to 18 hits. The Royals snapped a four-game losing streak.

Davies (8-9) allowed one run and five hits, winning consecutive starts for the first time this season. The right-hander also improved to 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his last four starts against Chicago, dating to Sept. 20, 2008.

"I'm pitching better in September. ... I don't think there's any explanation for it," said Davies, who turned 27 on Thursday. "I've won two games already in the month and I'm pitching pretty well. I pitched better in the first month, too.

"I think middle of the season, you look at the game, I wasn't commanding the ball at all. I'm commanding the ball a lot better now and that's going to lead to better results."

Davies struck out five and walked two, throwing 64 of his 102 pitches for strikes and impressing manager Ned Yost.

"This is his third or fourth really good start he's put together in a row," Yost said. "I'm looking for consistency and he's starting to develop it. It's starting to look that way, anyway."

Paul Konerko hit his 34th homer for the White Sox, who have lost four of five and trail AL Central-leading Minnesota by six games. The Twins won 1-0 in 12 innings in Cleveland on Saturday night.

White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski doesn't think the pressure of keeping up with the Twins is taking a toll on his team.

"Everyone is right there and energetic and into the games and doing everything they can but everyone has bad games and when you're in the middle of September and in a pennant race and you're trying to catch a team they get magnified," he said, "and that's the way this game works."

Jackson had been outstanding since he was acquired in a trade with Arizona on July 30, going 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in his first six starts with Chicago.

This one was much different.

Kansas City scored in each of the first three innings and five of the first six to build a 6-1 lead.

Blanco walked and scored on Wilson Betemit's single in the first. Yuniesky Betancourt hit a sacrifice fly and Blanco had an RBI double in the second. Pena doubled in a run in the third to make it 4-0.

"I felt good, but sometimes the days you feel good are the days you get hit and the days you feel bad you go out and do well," Jackson said. "It was just one of those days, what can you do? Once it's over it's over, you just forget about it and get ready for the next one."

Betemit and Mitch Maier also had three hits apiece for Kansas City, which improved to 8-9 against the White Sox this season. Pena finished with two RBIs.

"These guys are going for the division. It's only the right thing to do play the game and put your best lineup out there," Ka'aihue said. "In fairness to Minnesota, that's what we did to them, and we're doing the same to Chicago. You want to play spoiler in this situation, just for the other teams in the division."

Jackson, who allowed six runs and a season-high 13 hits in five-plus innings, was hurt by his defense in the second. With Alex Gordon on third and the infield playing in with one out, second baseman Gordon Beckman fielded Chris Getz's bouncer and tried unsuccessfully to get Gordon at third.

Gordon scored on Betancourt's fly ball and Getz eventually came home when Blanco legged out a double, sliding past shortstop Alexei Ramirez's tag.

Ramirez reacted to second base umpire Joe West's call and manager Ozzie Guillen, who was kicked out of Friday's game for arguing a balk, took a step out of the dugout, waved his hand and returned to the dugout. Guillen has been ejected by West's crew twice this season.

Konerko doubled and scored on Ramirez's two-out single in the fourth, cutting Kansas City's lead to 4-1, but Gordon singled in a run in the fifth and Maier chased Jackson with an RBI single in the sixth.

Konerko's homer came in the eighth against Gil Meche.

NOTES: White Sox RHP Freddy Garcia was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday with a sore lower back. Guillen said RHP Lucas Harrell will get the start instead. ... Yost said RHP Brian Bannister will pitch out of the bullpen for the rest of the season. He has made 23 starts this season. ... Royals DH Billy Butler established a franchise record with a hit in 97 consecutive series.