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The Royals didn't waste any time getting to White Sox starter Andre Rienzo, as Eric Hosmer homered to give the Royals a 2-0 lead in the first inning. After an Adam Eaton triple and a balk by Kansas City starter James Shields, the Sox cut the lead in half.
Unfortunately, Rienzo's control abandoned him in the third inning. With two outs and nobody on, he drilled Billy Butler. Alex Gordon followed with a walk and then Salvador Perez unloaded a three-run shot about halfway up the bleachers to make it 5-1.
Mike Moustakas walked to lead off the fourth. He made it to second on a grounder to Alexei that appeared to be a double play, but Ramirez missed the bag after catching the ball. The Royals were allowed to challenge because the "neighborhood play" doesn't apply when there is no throw made to second, and it was clear that Ramirez didn't touch the bag. Moustakas came around to score on a Jarrod Dyson single.
The Sox cashed in a couple of runs in the bottom of the fourth when Alejandro De Aza doubled in Adam Dunn and Alexei after each had singled. They threatened for more when Adam Eaton singled, but the ball was hit sharply to Alex Gordon and Joe McEwing threw up the stop sign, bringing Gordon Beckham to the plate with two outs, and he flied out to end the threat.
In the fifth, Conor Gillaspie led off with a double, but didn't move from there. In the sixth, Adrian Nieto and Eaton each had two-out singles, but Beckham stranded them both again with another flyout.
In the eighth, Nieto and Eaton each walked, but Beckham chopped out to end another inning.
The Sox brought the tying run to the plate again in the ninth, but Dayan Viciedo grounded out to short to end the game.
The Sox left 20 13 men on base today, with Beckham leading the way in futility with six.
Just like that, the Sox are in last place in the AL Central at 33-37. They have lost four in a row. On the other hand, Kansas City is red hot winning seven straight.