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A loss at Kauffman Stadium — something the Chicago White Sox have not encountered this year.
But it happened in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals, with the Sox dropping it, 5-2.
Things got off to a good start when Tim Anderson hit a lead-off home run. After Anderson hit it, he smiled and stared at the ball while starting his home run trot.
As Anderson crossed home plate, he was pulled over by baseball policeman Salvador Perez, who had some words for Anderson. I don’t know what Perez told him, but Anderson surely wasn’t showing him or the Royals up with his actions.
In the bottom half of the inning, Perez reached second after a walk and had more words for the White Sox shortstop. The two kept talking to each other, which resulted in both benches and bullpens clearing. No shoves or punches were thrown, but Perez obviously took exception to Anderson having fun on the field. It was silly, really.
[Edit, 4/29: Read a pretty fabulous take on the Salvy controversy at Royals Review.]
The rest of that inning was ugly for starting pitcher Dylan Covey and the White Sox defense. Covey gave up three hits, a walk and three unearned runs in the inning. Leury Garcia lost a ball in the lights on a line shot off the bat of Perez to get the rally going.
The White Sox would not get another hit off Royals’ starter Eric Skoglund until Omar Narvaez lined a base hit up the middle in the sixth inning. Skoglund went seven innings, giving up just two hits and one earned run.
Covey wasn’t great, but saved the White Sox from using their bullpen early in the game. The righthander covered six innings and gave up only one earned run. The Sox really couldn’t have asked for more from him.
Juan Minaya came in and again fought his control, walking four but striking out the same number in his two innings of work.
The Sox put a small rally together in the eighth inning, as Nicky Delmonico hit a pinch-hit RBI single through the right side of the infield to cut the deficit to two. Anderson bounced into a double play in the next at-bat to end the inning, though.
The White Sox will look to take four out of five games from the Royals tomorrow. Hector Santiago gets the nod in what is likely to be a “bullpen game” for a winded White Sox pitching staff.