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Royals down White Sox for fifth straight win

Jun 14, 2014 - 4:04 AM Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain all knocked in a pair of runs to help the streaking Kansas City Royals to a 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a three-game set on Friday.

Omar Infante added three hits and two runs for the Royals, who have won five straight and eight of 10.

Kansas City starter Jeremy Guthrie (3-6) grabbed the win, his first since April 9, after hurling 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball, striking out a season- high nine.

"It's a good sign to see, to come out swinging out of the gate" said Royals manager Ned Yost. "It was a nice comfort zone for Jeremy."

Adam Eaton and Jose Abreu each had an RBI for the White Sox, who had won eight of their previous 10 against AL Central competition.

Jose Quintana (3-7) was tagged for six runs on eight hits with six strikeouts over six innings of work.

"They were swinging it," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of the Royals. "We need to score more runs for (Quintana)."

Kansas City pounded out five straight hits to begin the game and jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the White Sox had a chance to bat.

Nori Aoki, Infante, Hosmer and Butler all singled to open the contest, with Hosmer and Butler each knocking in a run to give the Royals an early lead.

Alex Gordon then drove in Hosmer with a double to the wall in right to make it 3-0.

After a strikeout of Salvador Perez, Cain slugged a two-run double into left to increase the cushion.

Chicago got one back in the home half when Abreu lifted a sacrifice fly into center that scored Eaton.

The Royals kept their foot on the pedal, however, as Aoki led off the second with a ground-rule double to center and Hosmer knocked him in two batters later with a sac fly to center.

The White Sox loaded the bases with no outs in the home half of the second, but could only manage to push a run across on a walk from Eaton. Tyler Flowers and Gordon Beckham both struck out around the free pass to Eaton, and Connor Gillaspie flied out to center as Guthrie escaped the jam.

Each starter settled in from there to keep it a four-run game through six.

Scott Carroll replaced Quintana in the seventh and allowed a one-out single to Infante, then a walk to Hosmer. Butler followed with an RBI single to left to give the Royals some insurance.

Francisley Bueno and Kelvin Herrera each pitched a hitless inning of relief before the White Sox threatened in the bottom of the ninth off Tim Collins.

Collins allowed an infield single to Leury Garcia and a walk to Eaton to begin the ninth before getting Beckham to pop out to Perez in foul territory.

Pinch-hitter Paul Konerko flied out to center and Collins struck out Abreu looking to end it.

Game Notes

Alcides Escobar doubled with two outs in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to a career high-tying 11 games. Escobar, however, exited the game after pulling up with a cramp while going to second ... Quintana is winless in 10 career starts against the Royals ... Guthrie is 4-0 over his last five starts in Chicago dating back to 2012 ... Chicago went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 on base.