|
 Guthrie gave up four runs on seven hits, four walks and a hit
batter in 5 2-3 innings in a 7-5 victory Friday over the Chicago
White Sox in the Royals' home opener before a sold out crowd of
40,103.
White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton led off the game with a single
and stopped at third on Marcus Semien's double down the right field
line. Guthrie limited the damage Jose Abreu's sacrifice fly to right
scored Eaton, giving him six RBIs in four games, for the only run of
the inning.
"Those guys slapped a couple of good hits there and started them off
well," Guthrie said. "We settled in and made great defensive plays
again, I've said now for a number of starts. Make pitches and make
them hit the ball and for the most part our pitchers will take care
of the rest."
Guthrie won a career-high 15 games last season, while allowing an
American League high 236 hits.
"I try not to get too excited in situations good or bad," Guthrie
said. "I'm more or less a boring pitcher, I think it's been said. I
just try to stay focused on the hitter instead of the entire
situation and get the guy out. I realize they are just amped up as a
pitcher be in those situations and try to get a big hit and I try to
feed off of that."
Nori Aoki and Omar Infante each stroked three hits.
Aoki, who was acquired in a trade with Milwaukee, and Infante, a
free agent signed to a four-year contract, opened the three-run
first with singles. After Eric Hosmer was hit by a pitch to load the
bases, Alex Gordon hit a three-run double.
"That's why we made those additions, guys who can get on base and
put the ball in play," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Nori and Omar
were on base seven times, which was big. That set the table for
Gordy's big double. It was a good offensive day for us."
The Royals stroked 13 hits, including two by Lorenzo Cain, who drove
in a pair of runs, while Hosmer contributed two hits, including a
double.
White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers had his streak of seven consecutive
hits ended in the eighth when Aoki dropped his fly to shallow right
for an error.
Reliever Greg Holland, who recorded a franchise-record 47 saves last
year, worked a spotless ninth for his first save in his first
opportunity.
"You have an offense that feels like they can come back," White Sox
manager Robin Ventura said. "You're one hit away or one inning away.
Guys are still getting on base and they're still battling. You like
that kind of effort."
[to top of second column] |
White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton led off the game with a single
and stopped at third on Marcus Semien's double down the right-field
line. Jose Abreu's sacrifice fly to right scored Eaton, giving him
six RBIs in four games.
Aoki and Infante led off the Royals' first with singles off Erik
Johnson in Kansas City's three-run inning.
In the top of the second, Alexei Ramirez was thrown out at the plate
when he tried to score on Tyler Flowers' double to left. Gordon, a
three-time Gold Glove winner, picked up his second assist in three
games this season.
The Royals added a run in the second when Infante's two-out single
scored Cain.
The White Sox cut the lead to 4-2 in the fifth when Conor
Gillaspie's fly out to right with the bases loaded scored Flowers.
The Royals answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Cain
stroked a two-run single, while Billy Butler scored on a wild pitch.
White Sox rookie right-hander Johnson failed to make it out of the
fifth, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings, while
throwing 98 pitches.
"I tried to be real aggressive early in the count, especially early
in the game," Johnson said. "They did a good job of putting bats on
the ball and putting the ball in play and finding holes out there.
That's a good, strong-hitting lineup over there. Especially in the
fifth, too many free bases are going to hurt you later. In the
first, giving a free base after two singles isn't going to help you
either."
NOTES: The White Sox placed RHP Nate Jones on the disabled list with
a strained left hip. They recalled RHP Jake Petricka from Triple-A
Charlotte to take his roster spot. ... Conor Gillaspie returned to
the White Sox lineup after missing two games with the flu. ...White
Sox DH Adam Dunn singled to lead off the fourth, his first hit this
year that did not clear the fences. He was 2-for-13 before that
single with both hits homers. ...LHPs John Danks of the White Sox
and Bruce Chen of the Royals will make their initial starts on
Saturday.
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