Lynn makes himself at home in White Sox's 6-0 win over Royals

He's pitched at a high level for the Cardinals, the Twins, Yankees and Rangers.

After a rain delay Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field, Lance Lynn made himself right at home with the White Sox.

"When you look at a complete-game shutout, it's hard to say you pitched better," Lynn said after going the distance in the Sox's 6-0 win over the Royals. "I pitched on stages that were a little bigger, but you look at it and I had double-digit strikeouts, no walks, complete game, that's as good as you're going to get."

Lynn was actually great from the jump, striking out the side in the first inning and cruising the rest of the way while scattering 5 singles and throwing 111 pitches. He finished with 11 strikeouts.

"Very tough," Kansas City manager Mike Matheny said. "We talked about establishing the fastball, he certainly did that. He really only threw one slow pitch, that (Michael) Taylor rifled into right field. Besides that, it was hard sink, hard cut, trust movement."

According to STATS, Lynn became the first pitcher in American League history to throw a shutout with 10 or more strikeouts and no walks in his teams's home opener.

"He had control of all his pitches, very deceptive, the ball had life," manager Tony La Russa said after managing a home game for the White Sox for the first time since 1986.

When Lynn broke into the majors with St. Louis in 2011, La Russa was also his manager.

"I had the break and the opportunity to see him early," La Russa said. "He always had talent and was a pitch maker and he had life in his arm, but he was really competitive. And now where he's at, he's experienced. The ball does different things. He has like three different fastballs, a nice breaking ball.

"He's really just become a veteran pitcher who understands, keeps adding here and adding there so the hitters have to see different things. It's really impressive."

Acquired from Texas in a December trade for young starter Dane Dunning, the 33-year-old Lynn didn't need much offensive support.

The burly right-hander got more than enough in the first inning when Yoan Moncada hit a 2-run homer off Royals starter Brad Keller and red-hot rookie Yermin Mercedes followed with a solo shot.

Mercedes unloaded on a hanging slider and his 485-foot homer was the third-longest ever hit at Guaranteed Rate Field behind Joe Borchard (504 feet) and Frank Thomas (495).

The "sellout" crowd of 8,207 was treated to far and away the White Sox's best all-around game of the young season after sitting through a rain delay of over two hours.

"It's a great feeling," Moncada said through a translator. "This is the best feeling that you can have as an athlete, playing with your fans there, just because the energy that they give you and the support is definitely an inspiration. It felt very good today."