Morales was hitting.191 on June 5, but in his past 20 games he is hitting.359 with a.705 slugging percentage, bringing his season total to.261 with 38 home runs and 85 RBIs. He’s finishing up a lot better.
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Vargas, who had Tommy John surgery after that outing, will be on a 45-pitch limit and three innings against the Chicago White Sox, who rallied to win the first contest of the four-game series 7-4. Carlos Sanchez, who delivered a walk-off single for the White Sox on Thursday, smacked a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning Friday – his first blast since September 21, 2015.
The Kansas City Royals hope to hang on to some slim playoff hopes when they host the Chicago White Sox today at 2:15PM ET. Kendrys Morales singled home Merrifield for the other run.
“I’ve never seen a ball hit up there”, Semien said. We talk about that all the time, trying to get a couple here, a couple there.
Royals: LHP Danny Duffy is 0-1 with three no-decisions since an August 21 victory over Minnesota.
His afternoon started with three of the first four Royals reaching, but he allowed just one run because Alex Avila cut down Whit Merrifield on a stolen-base attempt.
“Again, it sounds boring, but it’s a simple mindset”, Duffy said.
Morales homered in the sixth with Paulo Orlando aboard.
The Sox offense struck first against the Royals in the second inning off starter Ian Kennedy.After Kennedy walked the bases loaded, Leury Garcia hit a RBI forceout to score the Sox first run of the game.
The game had been locked in a 1-1 tie for three-and-a-half innings before another potential piece of the Royals’ future stepped up.
Alex Gordon ended an 0-for-21 drought with his 16th home run, which splashed into the upper right-field fountain.
The White Sox trailed 4-2 in the eighth Friday when Chicago third baseman Todd Frazier ducked out of the way of Kelvin Herrera’s high and inside pitch.
Quintana (12-11) was pulled after 80 pitches and four ineffective innings, charged with six runs on 10 hits and three walks. He faced 24 batters, giving up 10 hits and three walks.
“He just wasn’t his normal self, the stuff you would expect from him”, Sox manager Robin Ventura said. He just wasn’t locating the way he usually does. “I just have to go out and not mess up too badly”. He was throwing it pretty good.
Of the 62 managers with at least 1,000 wins, Yost is one of 13 with a sub-.500 record.
The Royals added two more runs in the inning, which included an unusual double-barrel 4-minute, 25-second delay with both teams asking the umpires to review the same play. The mistake allowed Tim Anderson to reach second base safely and prevented the Royals from recording an out at first.
“I threw my arms up in the air”, Sale said when Sanchez homered. “Just a little tweak, so he’s getting treatment”, Ventura said. “There’s nothing mechanically wrong in there”. You just want to go out, feel good and get through it and come off of it healthy, on a good note.
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White Sox: DH Justin Morneau missed his fourth straight game with a stiff neck.
