Mercedes, Abreu carry White Sox to sweep of Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Yermin Mercedes and Jose Abreu had 3 RBI each to help the White Sox defeat Kansas City 9-3 on Sunday, finishing off a three-game sweep and handing the Royals their eighth consecutive loss.
Lucas Giolito (2-3) gave up 1 run, 4 hits, 2 walks and fanned two in 5 innings and got the win. It's the first run allowed by a White Sox starter in five games as they've gone 29⅓ innings and have a 0.31 ERA in that stretch.
"The heart of a lion," Sox manager Tony La Russa said of Giolito. "The first inning could've got away, but he limited it to 1 run. I was really impressed with the way he competed."
The 3 runs by the Royals are the most the White Sox have given up in a week.
Kansas City went winless on its seven-game homestand. They opened it up 1½ games in the division but leave their friendly confides back 3½ games. They were swept by Cleveland earlier in the week.
"We've got to keep working and teaching and it will pay off," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "There isn't a quick fix other than maybe a day off and fight again on Tuesday."
The White Sox have beaten the Royals 10 straight times on the road. The last team to do that was Oakland from 2003-2006 when they defeated Kansas City 12 consecutive times in Kauffman Stadium.
Kansas City got its first lead since Wednesday after Whit Merrifield doubled and eventually scored two batters later in the first inning. It was a promising start after snapping a 28-inning scoreless streak Saturday night, but they didn't lead again after that point.
"Our best baseball is ahead of us and we're not happy and it's embarrassing when we don't play how we should," Matheny said.
The next half inning, Mercedes hit a triple to right field - the first in his career - scoring Abreu and a double in the third scoring Yoan Moncada and Yasmani Grandal.
"I've been working hard every time and not doing too much," Mercedes said. "Just do the same thing every day."
Danny Mendick kept his hot streak going with an RBI-single to right field to lead 3-1.
Leury Garcia added another run on an RBI single to score Andrew Vaughan in the sixth.
The Royals had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth but only managed 1 run on an RBI from Michael A. Taylor.
Abreu singled in 2 runs in the seventh and another in the ninth.
"We've got outstanding heart and spirit," La Russa said. "It will be a happy flight, but we've got to focus on what's next."
Mike Minor (2-2) got the loss and went 5 innings, giving up 5 earned runs, 5 hits, 2 walks while striking out seven.
Up next: The White Sox host Minnesota on Tuesday to open a weeklong homestand with Dylan Cease (2-0, 2.37) on the hill. Kansas City starts a seven-game road trip beginning in Detroit on Tuesday.