Meche makes Royals' early lead stand up

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Gil Meche scattered 4 hits over 7 innings, and Billy Butler drove in 2 runs as the Kansas City Royals beat the White Sox 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Meche (9-12) has a 2.90 ERA over his past 8 starts and has not allowed more than 3 runs in any of them. But he has had some of the worst run-support in baseball and is just 2-3 over that stretch.

The right-hander, whom the Royals signed to a five-year, $55 million contract during the off-season, has worked 202 innings to become the first Kansas City pitcher to surpass the 200-inning mark since left-hander Darrell May logged 210 innings in 2003.

Meche gave up 2 runs, 1 earned, while striking out five and walking two.

The Royals took a 3-0 lead in the first when the first four batters collected hits off Gavin Floyd (1-3).

David DeJesus and Mark Grudzielanek led off with singles, and Ross Gload's double to right-center drove in DeJesus. Butler's 2-run single gave Meche all the help he would need.

The White Sox scored an unearned run in the fourth when Jason Smith's fielding error on Darin Erstad's bouncer allowed Josh Fields to score.

The Sox manufactured a run in the sixth, trimming the Royals' lead to 1 run. Fields led off the inning with a double, took third on Jermaine Dye's flyout to right and scored on Erstad's fielder's-choice groundout.

Rookie Joakim Soria pitched a perfect ninth, striking out two, for his 16th save in 20 opportunities.

After his shaky start, Floyd settled down to go 6 innings, allowing 9 hits and 3 runs while striking out six and walking one.

After the 3-run first, the Royals went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position the next four innings. Kansas City stranded two runners in the second and left the bases loaded in the fourth.