White Sox take rubber game vs. Royals

[June 10, 2019]  Reynaldo Lopez allowed one run on four hits over six innings to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 5-2 defeat of the Kansas City Royals on Sunday in Kansas City.

Yoan Moncada had four hits and an RBI and Eloy Jimenez had the longest home run in Kauffman Stadium in nearly two years.

The White Sox won the rubber game of the series, extending the Royals' woeful record in such games recently. The Royals are 0-6 in rubber games in 2019. They are 0-14 in rubber games dating back to May 30, 2018.

The Royals are now 0-14-2 in their last 16 series. They struck out 11 times, the 11th time in the last 16 games they've reached double-figures in strikeouts.

Lopez (4-6) walked one and struck out eight. He had been struggling, allowing 19 earned runs on 24 hits in 13 1/3 innings (12.83 ERA) over his previous three starts.

Glenn Sparkman (1-2) was the hard-luck loser for KC. He allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. Sparkman went just one inning in his previous matchup against the White Sox, when he was ejected for hitting Tim Anderson with a pitch on May 29.

The White Sox got on the board first. Jimenez led off the second with a 471-foot home run to center field, the longest home run in Kauffman Stadium since Brandon Moss hit one 474 feet for Kansas City on July 1, 2017, against the Minnesota Twins. The White Sox added an unearned run later in the second. Yolmer Sanchez reached on a two-out error, then scored on Charlie Tilson's double just inside the left field line.

White Sox starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (40) pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The Royals pulled to within 2-1 when Jorge Soler hit a 445-foot home run with one out in the fourth inning. It snapped a 13-inning scoreless streak for KC.

The White Sox got insurance runs in each of the last three innings, on Moncada's RBI single, scoring Tilson, and Anderson's RBI double, scoring Jimenez, plus an unearned run in the ninth. The Royals added a run in the bottom of the ninth on a double by Cheslor Cuthbert.

--Field Level Media

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