Anderson has last laugh in Chicago White Sox's win over Royals
Tim Anderson last played against the Royals on April 17, and it was a memorable game.
The shortstop homered off Kansas City starter Brad Keller and launched his bat at the Chicago White Sox's dugout.
Obviously taking exception to the display of emotion, Keller drilled Anderson in his next at-bat and the White Sox and Royals came close to brawling.
Tempers cooled, but did the memory fade?
Apparently not, according to home-plate umpire Mark Carlson.
Back in the lineup Wednesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field after missing the first two games of the series against K.C. with a sore right wrist, Anderson came to the plate for the first time and was promptly hit in the front of the helmet by a pitch from Royals starter Glenn Sparkman.
As Anderson gazed out at the mound, Carlson ejected Sparkman.
"We were aware of a previous situation between the two clubs involving Tim Anderson," Carlson said after the game. "I handled the situation in the moment the way I thought it needed to be handled."
Anderson wound up having the last laugh. His RBI double with two outs in the eighth inning lifted the White Sox to an 8-7 victory and completed a three-game sweep over the Royals.
But Anderson wasn't gloating afterward, and he seriously doubts Sparkman's 85-mph changeup was thrown with ill will.
"I knew it was an accident," Anderson said. "I saw it on his face. He was looking scared. It was a changeup that got away from him. It was just a tough moment for me, but I was able to control myself and stay in the game.
"A ton of things could have happened. It was a good thing that it didn't do any damage. I was able to stay in the game and keep my composure and we were able to get the win."
Sox manager Rick Renteria agreed with Anderson.
"The poor guy," Renteria said of Sparkman. "Personally, I don't think the kid was throwing at him. Maybe they were on high alert, I don't know."
In the top of the second, Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez almost hit Kansas City third baseman Hunter Dozier in the head with a fastball, so maybe Carlson thought that's why Sparkman plunked Anderson.
Either way, it was a rough night for Lopez. Staked to a 7-1 lead, he was again plagued by erratic command while throwing 118 pitches and allowing 5 runs on 12 hits and 2 walks in 5⅔ innings.
"I'm still learning," Lopez said through a translator. "I'm trying to make adjustments and learn from the mistakes, like today's outing. Every day after every outing, I'm a better pitcher because I'm learning more and I understand it better, what I need to do, the things that I need to be consistent with."