KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A quality start and three homers will do it almost every time.
That’s what the struggling White Sox packaged Wednesday to avoid a series sweep against the last-place Royals and halt a five-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory. Touki Toussaint pitched six innings of two-run ball, and Andrew Vaughn, Yoan Moncada and Oscar Colas went deep.
Vaughn and Moncada also homered in the Sox’ brutal 7-6 loss to the Royals the night before, in which they blew a 6-0 lead and lost on a bases-loaded balk. Vaughn had three hits and extended his career-high totals in homers (18) and RBI (72), and Moncada homered for the second time right-handed this season.
“We have guys with talent, they just have to get a pitch in their zone and let it rip,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Stay away from the ground. There’s no money in the ground. Crooked numbers happen when you put the ball in the air.”
Vaughn, batting .304 in his last 30 games, passed Luis Robert Jr. for the team lead in RBI. Moncada and the left-handed hitting Colas homered against Royals lefty Tucker Davidson. Moncada is batting .386 in his last 16 games. Elvis Andrus, a late replacement for shortstop Tim Anderson, had the 18th four-hit game of his career and is batting .418 in his last 15 games.
Toussaint struck out six and walked three, posting the Sox’ first quality start since Mike Clevinger beat the Athletics on Aug. 27.
Aaron Bummer walked the leadoff batter in the eighth and allowed a pinch-hit homer to Edward Olivares, making things dicey for the Sox, who improved to 54-86 as they try to avoid 100 losses with 22 games remaining.
Andrew Benintendi had an RBI single in the ninth and Bryan Shaw pitched the ninth for his second save after Gregory Santos recorded two outs in the eighth.
“The stretch we’ve been through, with our pitching being subpar, to have a good outing by the starter getting deep in the game, we needed that,” Shaw said. “It picks up the team.”
Kopech’s start TBD
The Sox’ list of probable starters for the weekend series in Detroit has TBD for Saturday in what should be Michael Kopech’s turn. Kopech (5.31 ERA) has walked 31 batters and allowed 24 earned runs in his last 28„ innings over seven starts. He was pulled from his start Sunday after recording just five outs and walking five batters.
“We’re still in the process of communicating, not with Kopech, but as an organization, to see what we’re going to do,” Grifol said. “Why? That’s going to stay internal.”
If Kopech doesn’t start, it wasn’t made clear if he would be pushed back, rested or pitch from the bullpen, from where he worked during the 2021 season.
One option to fill Kopech’s spot Saturday is right-hander Luis Patino, who pitched four scoreless relief innings against the Tigers on Saturday.
Anderson scratched with stiff neck
Anderson was a late scratch with neck stiffness. Andrus started at shortstop and led off in his place.
Anderson also was scratched from a game against the Cubs with a stiff neck on Aug. 15.
This and that
Catcher Seby Zavala, who was designated for assignment by the Sox, was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks.
† Left-hander Garrett Crochet (shoulder inflammation) began a rehab assignment for Double-A Birmingham.
