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German leads Royals to rare series win in Chicago

Jul 21, 2008 - 12:34 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Kansas City Royals left U.S. Cellular Field on Sunday looking more like a division leader than the Chicago White Sox.

The Royals got a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth inning from reserve outfielder Esteban German off reliever Matt Thornton for an 8-7 victory over the American League Central leaders that gave them the three-game series, 2-1.

It was the Royals' first series win against the White Sox in Chicago since 2003.

"I just watched an ugly game," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said after his team wasted home runs by Joe Crede and Nick Swisher. "We played terrible. I think a lot of people are looking at Minnesota and Detroit and all those teams -- we should look at ourselves. We've got to worry about us.

"We have to pitch better. Obviously you're not going to have your best game every time you go out there, but Kansas City showed up to kick our butt and they did. They played better than we did."

German collected three hits while David DeJesus drove in three runs to make a winner of relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez (1-1), who surrendered a 6-5 lead in the seventh on Jim Thome's 2000th career hit -- a double to left - and a two-run home run to Swisher.

"The great thing about (German) is he's always ready," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "You can bring him in in the middle of the game. You can always start him. He's a consummate professional."

German, batting ninth and playing left field, doubled and scored in the second and singled in the fourth when Aviles singled in the Royals' sixth run for a 6-5 lead. In the eighth, Chicago reliever Octavio Dotel hit pinch-hitter Jose Guillen. Then Thornton came on with two out and issued a walk to Ross Gload before giving up the two-run double to German.

"Always I have to be ready, that's my job," said German, a .209 hitter who jumped on a fastball. "He threw me a fastball. That's his best pitch is to throw 98, 97. So I didn't think he was going to throw something else."

Joakim Soria picked up his 26th save by retiring Chicago in order in the ninth, and the Royals survived another scare in the bottom of the eighth when Jose Guillen, who scored the tying run on German's double, stayed in the game in left field and threw out A.J. Pierzynski at home plate trying to score on a single by Brian Anderson.

"A.J. was out by a long ways," Hillman said. "It's one of the reasons I didn't pinch run for him (in the top of the eighth). After Jose got a hit, you've got the option of pinch-running a guy who can run. Jose's a very good defender. It was a key component to our game today."

Also big for Kansas City was jumping on White Sox starter John Danks early. The first four batters got hits as Kansas City took a 4-0 lead.

Mark Teahan singled, Aviles doubled, DeJesus singled in a pair and Billy Butler singled. With two out, DeJesus and Butler scored on a single by Gload off Danks, who gave up nine hits.

"He's been pitching good all year," Butler said. "Just to get to him early is the only way you get to guys who are good like that. You have to get them early or they get settled in. You just want to keep him uncomfortable."

The six runs in four innings were the most given up by Danks since allowing the Twins seven April 9.

"I think this kid has been great for us all year long," Guillen said. "He just had one bad outing. A lot of people ask about the bullpen, and how the bullpen has been going down for us, but all the sudden the starting pitching has been real poor."

Kansas City scored 22 runs in the three-game series.

The White Sox scored twice in the bottom of the first by putting five straight batters on base against starter Brian Bannister, who lasted only three innings, while giving up five runs and eight hits.

Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye singled, and Thome singled in Quentin. Konerko was struck by a pitch and Bannister walked Swisher with the bases loaded before getting out of the jam by striking out Crede.

The Royals got back a run in the second on Aviles RBI single, but Crede tied it in the third with his 17th home run.

The White Sox received a scare in the fourth inning when Dye was helped off the field by team medical personnel after being struck in the right knee by a pitch from reliever Horacio Ramirez. X-rays proved negative and Dye is day to day.