KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The White Sox finally found some offense Sunday with their first home runs in a week to overcome a tough afternoon for the pitching staff, beating the Royals 6-5 to salvage a four-game series split in Kansas City.
Following a three-hour rain delay, Tanner Murray’s first career home run in the second inning ended a 21-inning scoring drought for the Sox. The rookie’s two-run blast plated Colson Montgomery, who had doubled off Royals starter Noah Cameron.
After Grant Taylor’s flawless two-inning opening appearance, Sean Newcomb followed in the third inning and soon gave way to Jonathan Cannon, who looked off from the start.
Cannon’s first pitch since being called up from Charlotte was wild, allowing the two baserunners he inherited to advance, before walking one batter to load the bases and two more to tie the game up. He exited the game with hip irritation.
After two straight shutout losses for the Sox, the division rivals swapped leads with Montgomery blasting a two-run bomb in the fourth, and both bullpens struggling to find the strike zone.
Sox outfielder Dustin Harris opened the seventh with a pinch-hit double off the right-field wall and eventually scored to put the Sox ahead on a bases-loaded wild pitch from KC reliever John Schreiber.
Harris later went airborne to at least extra bases from Royals second baseman Michael Massey, a Palos Park resident, whose eighth-inning drive fell just a few feet short of a game-tying homer.
Montgomery was in visible pain after taking a 95 mph sinker off the forearm in the eighth, but he stayed in the game.
Mr. Smith goes to Charlotte
Shane Smith had an uneven outing Sunday in his first start at Triple-A Charlotte after being demoted.
The Sox’ Opening Day starter and 2025 All-Star gave up three first-inning runs on three hits, a walk and a hit batter, but settled in for three innings after that with five strikeouts.
The Sox shipped Smith east to straighten things out after he gave up 10 earned runs over three short starts. The rest of the rotation has mostly looked solid since a brutal opening week.
In his first game of a rehabilitation stint with the Knights, outfielder Everson Pereira smacked a 405-foot home run.
Rebuild remnants
One-time Sox rebuilding centerpiece Eloy Jimenez was called up Sunday by the Blue Jays for his first big-league action since 2024. He went 2-4 with two singles and two strikeouts as Toronto’s DH.
Luis Robert Jr. has hit.319/.458/.447 with two homers, seven RBI and 12 walks over his first 14 games with the Mets. Luisangel Acuna, the Sox’ main return for Robert, entered play Sunday slashing .214/.244/.214 with four stolen bases.
Yoan Moncada (.125/.340/.250 with a homer and four RBI) hasn’t fared as well for the Angels.
The Sox face the Angels at home April 27-29 and in Anaheim May 4-6. They visit Toronto July 17-19 and welcome the Mets to Rate Field Aug. 21-23.
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