Royals 4 - 5 White Sox
Final
  for this game

Central title still within reach for KC in Chicago

Sep 27, 2014 - 2:34 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Now that a postseason berth is in the bag, an American League Central title is still within reach for the Kansas City Royals.

Kansas City officially ended a 29-year playoff drought with a defeat of the Chicago White Sox on Friday night, and they'll try to forge a tie for the division lead on Saturday when the teams continue a season-ending series at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Royals lead Oakland by a game for the first of two available wild card spots in the AL, but they trail the Detroit Tigers by one game in the Central race with two games remaining. The win Friday ended the longest active postseason drought in the major leagues.

"It feels better than expected," Kansas City's Billy Butler said. "It's a great thing. I'm proud to bring this organization something they envisioned when they drafted me."

Meanwhile, the scuffling White Sox will end an otherwise forgettable season with ceremonies honoring retiring veteran Paul Konerko, who'll end his 16-year run with Chicago at the end of the schedule.

He's second in franchise history in home runs and third in hits, and was the most valuable player of the AL championship series in 2005, en route to the franchise's lone World Series title since 1917.

"It's like you don't want it to end, you want it to keep going," Konerko said. "But at the same time it is uncomfortable to play games underneath where everything on the (scoreboard) is about you, and everything going on is about you. So I'm kind of looking forward getting on the other side of it, but I'm trying to soak every last bit of it in while I'm doing it. So it's kind of that balance."

The White Sox start veteran John Danks, who's been with the team since 2007 and has never lost to the Royals -- going 6-0 with a 2.42 earned run average in 15 starts.

He threw six scoreless innings against them in a Sept. 15 game that Chicago ultimately lost, 4-3, and is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA and just four hits given up across 12 innings in his last two starts.

Lefty Danny Duffy starts for Kansas City in turn No. 2 since missing three starts with a shoulder problem. He pitched six scoreless innings in the return on Monday while defeating Cleveland, 2-0.

"It was probably the worst stuff I've had all year," he said.

He last faced Chicago on June 14 and threw seven scoreless innings while allowing five hits and striking out nine. In three lifetime meetings with the White Sox, he's 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA.

On Friday, Nori Aoki, Lorenzo Cain and Billy Butler each drove in a run during a three-run first inning, and that's all the Royals needed in a 3-1 win over Chicago.

Jeremy Guthrie (13-11) was sharp in seven scoreless innings, limiting the White Sox to four hits and walk with six strikeouts. Guthrie improved to 3-1 over five starts against Chicago this season.






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