Abreu extends hitting streak, White Sox beat Royals 7-3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jose Abreu extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a two-run double, Eloy Jimenez had three hits and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 Friday night.
Abreu matched Baltimore’s Anthony Santander for the longest hitting streak in the majors this season.
Codi Heuer (2-0) relieved starter Dane Dunning in the fifth and go the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief. Alex Colome earned his eighth save in nine tries.
The White Sox (24-15) took a half-game lead on the Indians and Twins in the AL Central. The Indians lost to the Brewers and the Twins swept a doubleheader from the Tigers.
Brady Singer (1-4) allowed five runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The White Sox got a run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Edwin Encarnacion.
The first pitch of the bottom of the first saw the end of a couple of streaks. Whit Merrifield singled off Dunning, snapping an 0-for-17 streak for Merrifield. It also snapped a streak for Dunning, who threw five hitless innings in his last start, also against the Royals.
Nick Madrigal drove in another run in the second inning with a single, but Chicago left the bases loaded.
Adalberto Mondesi scored Alex Gordon with a two-out single in the second to draw the Royals within a run. It snapped an 0-for-22 streak for Mondesi. Mondesi finished with three hits.
Chicago got another run in the fourth on singles by Nomar Mazara and Madrigal and a sacrifice fly by Tim Anderson.
The Royals tied it in the fourth but left the bases loaded. An RBI fielder’s choice by Edward Olivares and another RBI single by Mondesi knotted the game at 3-3. But Merrifield popped up and Hunter Dozier grounded out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
The White Sox got another run in the fifth on a wild pitch by Singer.
Abreu’s double drove in two in the sixth, and Jimenez got an RBI in the seventh.
The Royals scored one in the ninth, but Ryan McBroom grounded out as the tying run.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals DH Jorge Soler was back in the lineup after coming out of Wednesday’s game and missing Thursday’s game with oblique irritation.
UP NEXT
The White Sox will send RHP Lucas Giolito (3-2, 3.14 ERA) to the mound. After no-hitting the Pirates, Giolito battled through five innings in his last start Monday against the Twins. Giolito has 34 strikeouts, three walks and seven hits allowed in his past three starts.
LHP Kris Bubic (0-4, 5.46 ERA) will get the start for the Royals. Bubic delivered what manager Mike Matheny called his best outing of the season last Sunday against the White Sox. He went 5 1/3 innings and gave up six hits and two runs while striking out a career-high eight.
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