For the second straight game, the Royals lost 5-1 to the White Sox. And for the second straight day they were handcuffed by a dominating pitching performance. A day after John Garland allowed just four hits in 8 1/3 innings, St. Louis native Mark Buehrle took the mound for Chicago and gave up one run off five hits.
The White Sox gave Buehrle (9-1) the lead in the third inning when Tadahito Iguchi doubled off Royals’ rookie J.P. Howell to drive in Pablo Ozuna. Frank Thomas followed up with a double to drive in Iguchi.
Howell (1-2) got into trouble again in the fifth inning, when he gave up a two-out, three-run homer to Carl Everett to give the White Sox a 5-0 lead. Howell got out of the inning, but was replaced by Mike Wood to start the sixth.
Kansas City’s only run came in the top of the eighth inning when Ruben Gotay grounded to second base and Mark Teahen scored from third base.
The Royals were swept in the three-game series.
