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White Sox try to salvage finale with Royals

May 6, 2013 - 2:33 PM (Sports Network) - Chicago lefty Chris Sale aims to slow down the red-hot Kansas City Royals on Monday when the White Sox try to salvage the finale of their three-game set with their American League Central rivals at Kauffman Stadium.

Kansas City won its fourth straight game on Sunday, as Alex Gordon hit the game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Royals to a 6-5 win.

Gordon and Billy Butler had two RBI apiece, while Alcides Escobar and Miguel Tejada each drove in one run to help the Royals win for the seventh time in nine tries.

"A lot of guys came up big -- Billy (Butler) with that huge ninth-inning double against their close -- that was big for us," said Gordon. "It was a good fought game, back and forth, and we kept battling and came out on top."

It was the 11th time this season that the Royals needed to rally for a win.

Kansas City starter Wade Davis allowed just one run on five hits and three walks, but needed 102 pitches in his six-inning outing. Greg Holland (1-1) pitched a perfect top of the 10th to pick up the win.

Alejandro De Aza had a two-run double for Chicago in the seventh inning and later scored on a wild pitch, while Alex Rios knocked a solo homer and also drove in two runs for the White Sox, who saw starter Jose Quintana give up three runs on six hits and two walks over five frames.

Heading to the hill for the White Sox on Monday will be Sale, who is 3-2 with a 3.83 ERA. Sale has won his last two starts and on Wednesday beat the Texas Rangers, holding them to two runs and six hits in seven innings. He also struck out seven batters for the second straight start.

Sale beat the Royals on Opening Day and is 5-5 lifetime against them with a 2.74 ERA in 16 games (7 starts).

Chicago had hoped to have righty Jake Peavy on the hill Monday, but the former National League Cy Young Award winner is still bothered by back spasms.

Kansas City, meanwhile, will turn to its ace, righty James Shields, who lost to Sale and the White Sox back in that April 1 encounter. Shields only surrendered a run in six innings of that one, but fell to 3-4 versus the White Sox with a 4.52 ERA in 12 starts.

"It's always fun getting their best guy," Sale said of the rematch with Shields. "It's what you want. It's not going to be easy, but it's a challenge and we look forward to challenges. That's the nature of the game."

Shields has won two of three decisions since that loss and enters this start after beating Tampa last Tuesday, limiting it to two runs and five hits in seven innings. He is 2-2 on the year with a 3.00 ERA.

This series was extended to Monday because Friday's game was postponed due to freezing rain.