Royals' offense breaks out in win vs. White Sox

Royals' offense breaks out in win vs. White Sox

May 3rd, 2017

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals' dormant offense sprung to life in a 6-1 victory over the White Sox on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium, backing a stellar outing from starter .
Mike Moustakas drove in the game's first run in the sixth inning with an RBI double, and followed with an RBI triple. then drilled a sacrifice fly to the center-field wall to cap the Royals' three-run rally.
"It took six innings to get going," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "The initial three [runs] was great, but to tack on three more was really great. ... Things are looking good."
Added Hosmer, "It was just a good offensive night for the team. We got in key situations and the guys came through."

That was plenty of support for Karns, who turned in his second quality start of the season by tossing six scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and struck out seven.
"I thought Karns did a nice job," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "Tip your cap to him. He attacked the zone, used his breaking ball effectively. He did what he needed to do."
• White Sox struggling vs. right-handed starters
got the lone hit off Karns, a line-drive single to left in the first. White Sox starter Mike Pelfrey gave up three runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings, taking the loss. 's third homer of the season, a solo shot in the ninth, provided the lone run for the White Sox.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
A few too many? Pelfrey turned in his best outing with the White Sox, allowing no runs through the first five innings. But he couldn't survive the sixth, giving up a one-out single to Whit Merrifield, an RBI double to Moustakas and an RBI triple to Cain. Both the hits from Moustakas and Cain found the right-center-field gap, marking the Royals' first runs in 15 innings.
"The Moustakas hit got everything going," Hosmer said. "It just let everyone exhale a little bit."

KKKKarns: Karns got into some trouble in a scoreless game in the sixth. He struck out and . Then, Karns struck out , but the curveball in the dirt eluded catcher , allowing Sanchez to reach first on the wild pitch. Cabrera walked to give the White Sox runners on first and second. But Karns struck out Abreu looking, becoming the first Royal since Kevin Appier in 1996 to record a four-strikeout inning.
"It was just one of those nights where everything worked," Karns said. More >

QUOTABLE
"Now I can say I've done it." -- Karns, on his four-strikeout inning
"That's what happens. It's the big leagues. You leave balls over the middle, and guys make you pay for it." -- Pelfrey, on the Royals' three-run sixth
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The Royals won two of three games for the first time since April 16-19.
WHAT'S NEXT
White Sox: (2-2, 2.17 ERA) will make his sixth start of the season, and first against the Royals, in the series finale at 1:15 p.m. CT on Thursday. He is 2-1 with a 4.10 ERA in eight career games (six starts) against the Royals.
Royals: Right-hander (0-2, 2.30 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals in the series finale with the White Sox on Thursday afternoon. Kennedy has not won since Sept. 11, 2016, and hasn't won at Kauffman Stadium since Aug. 20 of last year.
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