KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Eloy Jimenez launched a 471-foot home run, Reynaldo Lopez bounced back with six effective innings and the Chicago White Sox defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Sunday.
Yoan Moncada had four hits and an RBI for the White Sox, who lost the series opener but had back-to-back solid pitching performances to take the last two games.
The Royals are 0-6 in rubber games in 2019, continuing a streak that started early last season. Kansas City has lost 14 straight rubber games, dating to May 30, 2018, and is now 0-14-2 in its last 16 series.
A day after Lucas Giolito shut down the Royals in a 2-0 victory, Lopez (4-6) allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
Lopez had been struggling recently, giving up 19 earned runs in his last 13 1/3 innings over his previous three starts.
Glenn Sparkman (1-2) gave up two earned runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Jimenez led off the second with the longest home run at Kauffman Stadium since Brandon Moss hit a 474-foot drive for the Royals against the Twins July 1, 2017. The White Sox added an unearned run later in the inning on Charlie Tilson's double.
Jorge Soler hit a 445-foot shot homer in the fourth, snapping Kansas City's 13-inning scoreless drought.
The White Sox got a run in each of the last three innings, on Moncada's single that scored Tilson in the seventh, an eighth-inning double by Tim Anderson and an unearned run in the ninth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals 1B Lucas Duda continues on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha. He's 12 for 35 with one home run and three doubles in 10 games with the Storm Chasers. He's been on the IL since April 26 with a lumbar strain.
ROSTER NEWS
White Sox RHP Dylan Covey was placed on the 10-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, retroactive to June 6. The White Sox recalled RHP Thyago Vieira from Triple-A Charlotte. Vieira is 1-0 with 2.08 ERA in three relief appearances with the White Sox this season. He was 3-1 with 17 saves and 24 strikeouts in 17 appearances in Charlotte.
UP NEXT
The White Sox open a six-game, seven-day homestand Monday against the Washington Nationals. The White Sox had not named a starter at the start of Sunday's game, with the possibility of using an opener. The Nationals swept a two-game series from Chicago on June 4-5, including winning on a walk-off home run by Trea Turner in the second game.
The Royals will have Monday off before opening a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. RHP Jakob Junis (4-6, 5.63 ERA) will start for the Royals against Spencer Turnbull (3-5, 3.01 ERA).
