White Sox 5, Royals 2: Jake Peavy worked six strong innings and Tyler Flowers hit his second home run as host Chicago clinched its season-opening series against Kansas City.
Dayan Viciedo hit a two-run homer while Adam Dunn and Alexei Ramirez each added a solo blast for the White Sox, who overcame three errors. Peavy (1-0) struck out five of the first seven batters he faced and finished with six while allowing two runs - one earned - on four hits.
Billy Butler drove in a run but Ervin Santana (0-1) struggled in his debut for the Royals, allowing four runs on five hits in six innings while striking out eight. Santana, who led the league in home runs allowed with the Los Angeles Angels last season, yielded three to Chicago.
Flowers accounted for the lone run in Monday’s 1-0 victory and put the White Sox on top for good in the third, lining a first-pitch fastball into the left-field seats in the third. Santana had thrown the same first-pitch 89-mph fastball over the middle to Dunn for a solo home run to lead off the previous inning.
Viciedo, whose error led to Kansas City tying it up at 1-1, made up for his earlier miscue by sending a towering two-run homer into the White Sox bullpen in left, just beyond the outstretched glove of Alex Gordon climbing the fence in the fourth. Addison Reed worked a perfect ninth for his second save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Through the first two games, the White Sox have scored each of their six runs via the home run. … Chicago 2B Gordon Beckham, who made a diving stab of a line drive to save a run in Monday’s contest, made a leaping grab to rob Lorenzo Cain of a hit in the ninth. … Kansas City RHP Luke Hochevar made his first appearance since being moved to the bullpen in spring training and surrendered Ramirez’s blast in the seventh.
Kansas City | Chi. White Sox | |
Ervin Santana | Player | Jake Peavy |
Loss | W/L | Win |
6.0 | IP | 6.0 |
8 | Strikeouts | 6 |
5 | Hits | 4 |
6.00 | ERA | 1.50 |
Kansas City | Chi. White Sox | |
Lorenzo Cain | Player | Adam Dunn |
1 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 1 |
1 | TB | 5 |
.250 | Avg | .667 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Kansas City | 5 | 0 | 7 | .147 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Chi. White Sox | 8 | 4 | 21 | .276 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 |