CHICAGO -- The reigning World Series champion Kansas City Royals snapped their eight-game losing streak, and music boomed from beyond the clubhouse walls.

Inside, manager Ned Yost remained at ease.

"Am I relieved? It's great to win a game," he said. "We've had a rough road trip."

Danny Duffy struck out a career-high 10 and Cheslor Cuthbert hit two home runs as the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Saturday to end their longest skid since May 2013. Cuthbert hit two solo shots for his first career multi-homer game.

"It was fun to watch. Everybody contributed," Duffy said.

Duffy (2-1) allowed three hits and three walks in six scoreless innings, and the Royals improved to 12-23 on the road.

"He throws four different pitches. His fastball's got a little rise to it, so anything up, you basically got to lay off of it, but it's tough to do," White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier said. "He had them all working today."

The White Sox mustered five hits and have lost 21 of 29. They were trying for their first three-game winning streak since they took four in a row from May 6-9.

"We gotta get going offensively," White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton said. "It's been stagnant on the basepaths. Our pitching staff has been giving us good outings, so we gotta step it up offensively."

Royals pitchers retired 17 straight batters before Frazier singled off Wade Davis in the ninth. Avisail Garcia later singled to drive in Frazier.

Duffy, who joined the rotation May 15, threw a season-high 88 pitches. The Royals started the left-hander on regular rest instead of scheduled right-hander Chris Young, who was pushed back to Tuesday for his second start since coming off the disabled list.

"Continue to keep it simple, and it's been working," said Duffy, who threw out of the stretch.

Jose Quintana (5-7) struck out 10 and allowed three runs and six hits in eight innings in his sixth straight loss. He has received no more than one run of support in his last six starts and three runs or fewer in 10 outings this season.

"I feel frustrated, but I don't have control over that," Quintana said. "I try to come back tomorrow and start a new preparation for my next start."

Quintana fell to 1-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 19 career starts against Kansas City.

"Quintana is an unbelievable pitcher," Yost said. "We just find ways to win against him, and I don't know how we do it. He's one of the better pitchers we'll face all year long."

The left-hander allowed more than one home run for the first time in 2016.

"Those guys have power," Quintana said. "And a couple mistakes, ran into the middle a couple times. The weather helped a little bit too."

Cuthbert hit a solo home run in the third and added another in the eighth, bringing his season total to four. Kendrys Morales led off the fifth with his seventh homer of the season.

The Royals totaled six home runs -- all solo shots -- in splitting the first two games of the three-game series.

The White Sox had a chance to take the lead early. Eaton led off with a walk and Jose Abreu singled in the first before Melky Cabrera put down a sacrifice bunt. Frazier struck out swinging and Brett Lawrie lined out to end the inning.

"He decided to do that on his own," manager Robin Ventura said about Cabrera's bunt. "He's up there sensing the situation. I think he thought we could get on the board early by getting them over."

A day after he went 2-for-3 with a double in his major league debut, White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

White Sox reliever Tyler Danish allowed a run, three hits and a walk in his major league debut in the ninth.

NOTES: The Royals recalled RHP Dillon Gee from Triple-A Omaha and optioned LHP Scott Alexander to Omaha before Saturday's game against the White Sox. Gee was 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA at Triple-A and 2-2 with a 4.28 ERA in an earlier stint with the Royals this season. He will pitch out of the bullpen. Alexander was 0-0 with a 4.85 ERA. ... White Sox OF Jason Coats started at designated hitter and batted eighth Saturday. Which player is the designated hitter depends on matchups, and OF J.B. Shuck, C Alex Avila and C Dioner Navarro also can handle the role, manager Robin Ventura said. ... Chicago LHP Carlos Rodon is expected to start Sunday in the series finale against the Royals. Ventura said Rodon felt fine after throwing on the side. Rodon skipped his last start because of a sore neck.