Bullet point recap, as I followed this game while cleaning out the basement and finding things better than what transpired today:
*The White Sox have now lost nine of their last 10 series, including all three this season to the Royals, who, as you recall, entered this weekend on a seven-game losing streak.
*Carlos Rodon was more or less fine in his return to the mound after neck discomfort pushed him back. He allowed the leadoff runner to reach in score in each of the first two innings, but eventually found his groove to post a line the Sox can win with: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K.
*Alex Avila helped him by throwing out two baserunners and successfully triggering an interference call when Kendrys Morales stumbled over home plate on a strikeout, resulting in an inning-ending double play.
*Avila also started the Sox' best scoring opportunity. Down 2-0 in the fifth, he shot a single to the left-center gap that Lorenzo Cain booted. The error allowed Avlia to reach second, and he took third on Avisail Garcia's single through the left side.
Then J.B. Shuck struck out looking, and Tim Anderson grounded into his second double play in as many at-bats.
*The Sox scored the next inning, but only because Jose Abreu crushed a 98-mph Yordano Ventura fastball over the center field wall for his eighth homer of the season. It was their only run of the game, and back-to-back one-run games are troubling when they're coming against pitchers they've seen multiple times this season.
*Zach Putnam stranded Zach Duke's runner in the eighth inning, but gave up a solo shot to Sal Perez to put the game out of reach. At least J.B. Shuck saved him another by throwing out Cheslor Cuthbert at home.
*Of all the Sox to have bad games, Todd Frazier had the worst-looking one, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Box score: 31-32 | Box score | Highlights