Byrd Allows 10 In Loss

Carlos Beltran drove in four runs and Mike Sweeney was responsible for two more, but it wasn’t enough. The Royals lost their seventh in a row by a count of 10-6 to the White Sox. Beltran and Sweeney both hit two-run homers in the loss. It was number 24 for Beltran, 22 for Sweeney. Sweeney was 1-5, dropping his batting average to .340. He leads Bernie Williams by a point in the American League hitting race. The Royals released pitcher Blake Stein yesterday. He was 0-4 with 7.91 ERA this season. On Sunday he allowed six runs in two-thirds of an inning in Kansas City’s 11-inning loss to Seattle. The Royals got Stein as a part of the Kevin Appier trade. The two other pitchers that came over in the deal are no longer with the team.