Keller leads Royals past White Sox

[March 29, 2019]    Brad Keller made sure his selection as the Opening Day starter was rewarded, as he helped the Kansas City Royals defeat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 Thursday. The start of the game was delayed by an hour and 46 minutes because of rain.

Keller (1-0) was almost untouchable. He pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and walking just one and striking out five.

Carlos Rodon (0-1) was nearly as good as Keller before he appeared to run out of gas in the sixth. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on just three hits. He walked one and struck out six.

It took a while for Kansas City's offense to get going, and it took even longer for Chicago's. The White Sox didn't cross home plate until they scored three runs in the ninth off four Royals relievers. Brad Boxberger retired the final batter to pick up his first save.

Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi got it started, and he kept it going. He became the second Royals player in club history to record two triples on Opening Day (Tony Pena Jr., 2007).

Jorge Soler also had two hits for the Royals, an RBI single in the sixth and an RBI double in the seventh.

The Royals got their first run in the fourth when Alex Gordon drove in Mondesi with a sacrifice fly. Mondesi got the club's first hit of the season, a triple to right. Initially Mondesi was called out at third, but the Royals challenged the call and it was reversed.

Whit Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 21 games, dating back to last season, with a bloop single leading off the bottom of the sixth. Merrifield finished 2018 with a 20-game streak. He stole second and third base, before Rodon hit Gordon with a pitch in the upper back. Soler then followed with a shot between short and third, driving in Merrifield.

Frank Schwindel then rolled a hard ground ball just under the glove of second baseman Yolmer Sanchez, scoring Gordon from second. It was ruled an error on Sanchez, denying Schwindel his first major league hit and RBI, but it gave the Royals a 3-0 lead.

It also gave Rodon an early exit.

Mondesi's second triple scored Merrifield with the fourth run and Soler's double drove in Gordon with the fifth run in the seventh.

--Field Level Media

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