July 19--The Royals got a solo homer from Lorenzo Cain in the top of the 13th inning and held on for a 7-6 win over the White Sox Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field.
Kansas City has won two of the first three games of the four-game series.
The Sox got a two-run, two-out double by J.B. Shuck in the ninth inning to tie the game 6-6 and take the game into extra innings.
Adam LaRoche singled and Alexei Ramirez walked in advance of Shuck's two-base hit off reliever Greg Holland.
The Royals jumped out to a 3-0 lead in in the first inning.
The Sox have allowed 71 first-inning runs this season, worst in the majors. Their own 27 first-inning runs are the least in the big leagues.
The first four Royals batters to face starter Jose Quintana reached on hits, including a double by Mike Moustakas. Salvador Perez also had an RBI double in the inning.
The Sox got on the board in the bottom of the third as Adam Eaton drew a two-out walk and advanced to third on a single by Tyler Saladino as rightfielder Alex Rios booted the ball for an error. Melky Cabrera drove in Eaton with a single to left.
Eaton drove in the Sox's second run in the fourth inning with a base hit to make it 3-2.
The Sox tied the game 3-3 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by J.B. Shuck. But the Royals answered with the go-ahead run in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Alex Rios and Paulo Orlando to chase Quintana in favor of Zach Putnam.
The Sox tied the game 4-4 in the seventh inning on a two-out solo homer to right by Alexei Ramirez, his third of the season.
The Royals scored twice in the eight to make it 6-4. Moustakas had a sacrifice fly and Kendrys Morales drew a bases-loaded walk.
The White Sox rank 15th in the American League and 28th in the majors with just 62 homers this season.
"Offensively we have a ways to go and, to be able to separate late in the game is a big deal, and it would be a big deal for our pitchers," manager Robin Ventura said before Saturday's game against the Royals at U.S. Cellular Field.
"We had chances (Friday) night to add on runs, to separate ourselves a little bit from these guys. Over time, if you don't do that you're going to give the other team a chance and it's the big leagues. You're not always going to make it work. We have to learn how to do that right now."
The jury is still out on the White Sox when it comes to determining whether they will be buyers or sellers as the trade deadline rapidly approaches.
After splitting Friday's day-night double-header against the Royals, the Sox send Quintana (4-9, 3.69) against Kansas City's Jeremy Guthrie (7-5, 5.36) Saturday.
The contest was preceded by an on-field celebration of the 2005 World Series champion White Sox, who are commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the feat this weekend.
The Sox enter the game 11 games behind the first-place Royals in the AL Central.
