CHICAGO _ Eric Hosmer homered off White Sox ace Chris Sale for the third time this season as the Royals edged the White Sox, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field.
Hosmer, who also cranked two homers off Sale on June 10, became the first left-hander hitter to hit three homers off Sale in his career. Sale, 27, has only allowed eight homers to left-handers in seven years.
Hosmer's opposite-field shot came in the top of the sixth and stretched the Royals' lead to 2-0. Kendrys Morales had opened the scoring with a homer to left field in the second. The Royals (74-68) remained on the fringe of the American League playoff picture after taking two of three from the White Sox this weekend.
Royals starter Ian Kennedy allowed just one hit over six scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 3.62 for the season and 3.14 since the All-Star break. The final line belied an afternoon of grinding.
Kennedy issued four walks and worked around a bases-loaded jam in the third inning. He needed 66 pitches to navigate through the first third of the game. But after a wasteful start, he got back on track with an efficient 10-pitch fourth. By the bottom of the sixth, Kennedy was locked in, striking out Adam Eaton and Tim Anderson before coaxing a fly-out on his 105th pitch of the night.
For the second straight night, the Royals' bullpen took over in the late innings. Peter Moylan worked a scoreless seventh inning. Kelvin Herrera plowed through the eighth. Wade Davis notched his 24th save in the ninth.
The Royals now will return home and open a four-game series against the Oakland Athletics at 6:15 p.m. Monday at Kauffman Stadium.
