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White Sox 5, Royals 3: David Robertson bookends productive day

Closer nails down save in full game after picking up a win in the suspended one

By Jim Margalus
David Banks/Getty Images

The White Sox figured out how to make up for lost time after losing their first four games to the Kansas City Royals this season: Beat them twice in a day.

After Avisail Garcia's walk-off single broke the hex in the opener, the White Sox added to the Royals' frustration by blasting out of a 3-0 hole with a five-run sixth inning to pick up a pair of series victories on the abbreviated homestand.

This one had all the markings of a lazy Sunday loss -- John Danks crashing into an unsatisfying quality start and zero support from the bats. The Sox didn't get their first hit off Edinson Volquez until the fifth inning, and the excitement was nullified when Melky Cabrera was doubled off second on Alex Gordon's second-best play of the game.

But the offense and U.S. Cellular Field came to life one inning later, and maybe against the odds, since Gordon's best play of the game should have crushed them. The inning started with his amazing catch in the stands down the left field line:

Undaunted, the next five White Sox reached base. Adam Eaton singled, moved to second on Cabrera's walk, then took third on a wild pitch. He crossed the plate when Mike Moustakas booted Jose Abreu's grounder, putting the first Sox run on the board.

The Sox made that error hurt. Adam LaRoche shot a single to left center for another RBI, and Avisail Garcia loaded the bases with a laser to center field. Alexei Ramirez followed by striking out, but thanks to Moustakas' error, Volquez wasn't out of trouble. And he couldn't even get out of the inning, as Internet Favorite Conor Gillaspie lined a single to right to drive in two runs, giving the Sox a 4-3 lead. There was much rejoicing.

In came Jason Frasor, and he couldn't stop the bleeding, as Tyler Flowers looped a single to right center for what turned out to be the final run.

The Sox didn't need the insurance, mostly thanks to Cabrera in the eighth inning. Alcides Escobar started the eighth with a double off Jake Petricka. Robin Ventura called for Zach Duke, who got the next two outs with no fuss, bringing Eric Hosmer to the plate. There was a little more fuss with Hosmer's out, as he hit a deep drive that took Cabrera back to the track. Cabrera had to turn around, but he calibrated himself in time to make a leaping catch, which at least took an RBI double away from Hosmer, and maybe more.

David Robertson then came on to record the save. He wasn't as dominant as in the opener, giving up a pair of singles to put the tying runs on base. But Omar Infante grounded out to short to give the Sox a much-needed comeback victory.

Danks took home the win, and with a very unusual line: six innings, five hits, three runs, one walk and eight strikeouts. The strike zone was pretty large for both pitchers, but Danks' misses were meatier than Volquez's. He gave up a two-out RBI double to Moustakas in the third, and a two-run homer to Gordon one inning later.

It could have been worse for Danks, but Royals third base coach Mike Jirschele helped him with a bad send to end the fifth. He tried scoring Moustakas from first on Cain's liner to the gap when he saw Eaton struggle to pick it up cleanly. But an easy relay had Moustakas dead at the plate by 10 feet.

Bullet points:

Record: 8-9 | Box score | Play-by-play | Highlights

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