• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Royals blank White Sox

May 13, 2012 - 5:13 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Luke Hochevar tossed seven shutout innings as the Kansas City Royals blanked the Chicago White Sox, 5-0, in the second portion of a three-game series.

Hochevar (3-3) allowed just three hits and a walk while retiring the last 11 batters he faced, lowering his ERA from 9.00 to 7.20.

"Regardless of the situation, I have to go out and execute quality pitches. That's all that I am focused on," said Hochevar.

Billy Butler, Alcides Escobar and Humberto Quintero each had two hits and an RBI for the Royals, who won for the third time in four games.

Chris Sale (3-2) gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks through five innings to suffer the loss for Chicago, which had its three-game win streak snapped.

"I felt great. The arm felt great, body felt good and my mind was right. I just didn't put it all together," Sale said about his outing.

Kansas City loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning after Jarrod Dyson and Johnny Giavotella both walked to lead off the game and Alex Gordon followed with a single to right.

Butler then slapped a base hit to right to plate Dyson before Jeff Francoeur hit a bouncer to second for a potential double play, but Gordon Beckham's throw to first was high and sailed over Paul Konerko's head, allowing both Giavotella and Gordon to score.

A pair of singles by Eric Hosmer and Irving Falu filled the bags again, but Escobar and Quintero each flied out to left to end the inning and keep it a 3-0 game.

After stranding a runner on second in the second and third innings, Chicago would not advance a runner past first over the next five frames and the Royals took advantage when they added to their lead in the eighth.

Zach Stewart took the mound for the White Sox following Falu's two-out single off Will Ohman and Escobar greeted the new reliever with a double off the base of the wall in left field to plate Falu. Quintero then singled in Escobar for a 5-0 Kansas City lead.

Aaron Crow stranded a runner on second in the ninth to preserve the shutout for the Royals.

Game Notes

Kansas City reinstated pitcher Greg Holland off the 15-day disabled list, optioned pitcher Nate Adcock to Triple-A Omaha and signed pitcher Doug Davis to a minor league contract earlier Saturday...The start of the game was delayed 56 minutes due to rain...Hochevar improved to 4-4 in 10 career starts against Chicago.