Danks shuts down Royals for White Sox
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- John Danks has been having problems finding the win column this year.
Yet, put Danks against the Kansas City Royals and it is almost an automatic victory.
Danks pitched eight scoreless innings and Gordon Beckham homered as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Royals 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Danks, who has two career shutouts, limited the Royals to seven hits, six of them singles, while throwing 71 of his 100 pitches for strikes.
He picked up his first victory since July 2 but has been impeccable against the Royals, posting a 6-0 record in 13 career starts. Danks is 4-0 with a 1.65 ERA in eight starts at Kauffman Stadium.
"For him to go eight against a lineup like this that (has) been tough on us is pretty good," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.
Addison Reed replaced Danks (3-10) in the ninth and logged his 32nd save in 37 opportunities. Reed gave up a leadoff single to Billy Butler, and pinch runner Jarrod Dyson stole second, but he retired the next two batters on pop-ups and struck out Justin Maxwell to preserve the victory.
The White Sox have won four straight road games, matching their longest road winning streak, last done May 14-17.
"Hopefully this will get us on a little streak to end the season on a high," Danks said.
While the White Sox have a 50-74 record -- only the Astros have a worse mark in the American League -- it was a costly defeat for the Royals, who are trying to remain on the fringe of the playoff race. Kansas City lost for the sixth time in eight games and the seventh time in 11; the Royals have scored three runs or fewer in six of those defeats.
The White Sox starters are 5-1 with a 2.29 ERA in the past seven games.
"I felt like I was giving myself the best chance to win tonight," Danks said.
The Royals had no chance.
"We've never beaten John Danks," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He kept his fastball down and on the corners of the plate, for the most part. He had a good changeup. He didn't throw a lot of pitches in the middle of the plate, didn't make any mistakes.
"We didn't smoke many balls. We just couldn't get anything going."
Chicago scored single runs in the first two innings.
Beckham homered to left off Ervin Santana (8-7) in the first. Beckham, who entered the game a career .221 hitter against the Royals, belted his seventh career homer against Kansas City but his first this year.
"A slider a little up," Santana said.
Paul Konerko led off the second with a double to left and stopped at third on Avisail Garcia's single to center. Konerko came home on a passed ball charged to catcher Salvador Perez with Conor Gillaspie batting.
The passed ball was unusual, to say the least. The ball skipped into a sign behind the plate and disappeared. The official ruling was a dead ball, and all runners moved forward one base.
"I've never seen anything like that," Santana said. "That's the first time. And it happens to me. I was like, 'Where is the ball?' I was looking at Salvy and he was looking at me."
But the ball was nowhere to be seen as Konerko trotted home.
"That stuff happens," Ventura said. "It's one of those you lose in the tarp or the way they have advertising now. It's just one of those that kind of goes your way."
The White Sox threatened in the fourth, loading the bases on a Garcia single and walks to Konerko and Dayan Viciedo. After a visit to the mound from pitching coach Dave Eiland, Santana rebounded by striking out Josh Phegley swinging to end the inning.
Santana, who was 3-0 in his previous six starts, was replaced by Luke Hochevar after six innings. Santana gave up two runs (one earned) and four hits while striking out five and walking two to take the loss.
Chris Getz, who had two of the Royals' hits, singled to lead off the eighth, but he was picked off.
"Those things can't happen," Yost said.
NOTES: The Royals reinstated OF Justin Maxwell from the bereavement list and optioned LHP Will Smith to Triple-A Omaha. Smith was in his sixth stint with the Royals this season. ... The White Sox have outscored opponents 61-60 in the first inning. ... Konerko's next home run will be the 432nd of his career, which would move him one past Hall of Famer Cal Ripken for 44th place on the career list. ... Royals 3B Mike Moustakas, who has played in only one game since suffering a strained left calf on Aug. 12, was held out of the lineup again.
