Cuthbert, Duffy help Royals end 8-game skid, beat White Sox

The World Series champion Royals ended an eight-game losing streak, with Cuthbert hitting two home runs and Danny Duffy pitching six shutout innings in a 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.

Starter Tanner Roark threw seven scoreless innings and utility men Clint Robinson and Michael Taylor each had three hits as the first-place Washington Nationals defeated the slumping Philadelphia Phillies 8-0 Saturday.Roark (5-4) gave up six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts before Sammy Solis took over in the eighth. Rodon (2-5, 4.41 ERA) will be the third consecutive lefty to start for the White Sox.

It was Ventura’s first outing since he was suspended for nine games by Major League Baseball after he hit Baltimore’s Manny Machado in the back with a 99 miles per hour fastball in the fifth inning of a 9-1 loss Tuesday, leading to a bench-clearing fight. He was scheduled to pitch Sunday, but right-hander Yordano Ventura will instead start that day on regular rest.

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez (5-6, 4.25 ERA) gets the ball when Kansas City begins a seven-game homestand Monday night against Cleveland.

Anderson, who entered the season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in the White Sox organization, has batted.337 with 31 runs scored over his last 37 games since May 1. Though the Kansas City Royals answered with three home runs of their own, all three were solo shots compared to two, two-run home runs for the White Sox.

And Cuthbert secured his first two-homer game of his career when he sent the first pitch into the left-center seats in the eighth on a 91-degree day with the wind blowing out.

The White Sox purchased the contract of right-hander Tyler Danish from Double-A Birmingham on Tuesday to fill Latos’ roster spot. So it wasn’t a surprise when the White Sox starter didn’t say much to characterize his Sunday outing.

I guess the silver lining is that the Royals scored five runs, racked up 12 hits, and slammed four extra-base hits, but they’re still failing to get the big hit.

Duffy (2-1) struck out 10 and gave up three hits.

The Sox offensive woes started in the first inning after Adam Eaton coaxed a leadoff walk from Duffy and Jose Abreu, the only Sox starter not to strike out, followed with a single to bring up Melky Cabrera.

Carlos Rodon is a man of a few words. The Royals (30-30) watched the Sox light up Ian Kennedy for seven runs and nine hits in 51/3 innings. And while they’re still within striking distance in the division, that 4-14 mark against the Royals, Indians and Tigers has to improve for the White Sox to remain competitive in a diluted division. “It’s good to see him”, Yost said. Shuck, who went 1-for-3 Sunday. We are just going through a rough patch.