Morales drives in 4, leads Duffy, Royals over White Sox

Jose Abreu is now batting.300 after collecting multiple hits in 12 of his last 18 contests.TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN Kansas CityPITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Miguel González (4-6, 3.82 ERA) vs. Royals LH Jason Vargas (2015: 5-2, 3.98) Gonzalez has won both his starts since returning from a groin strain that sidelined him almost a month and occurred in an abbreviated start at Kansas City on August 11.

Joey Wendle had his first career four-hit game and scored three runs as the A’s banged out 16 hits.

“I had trouble with my release point”, Herrera said.

“It was a bad day for me”. They face a tough pitcher in Rodon, but the Royals have won the last two games of this four-game series. “It’s what I do for a living, so I’m looking forward to getting back out and doing my job”.

“It was always a goal”.

“I faced Overton a couple of times when we played (Triple-A) Nashville, so I knew he was a fastball/changeup guy”, Dozier said. “He’s just sore and you just have to treat it.”.

Catcher Salvador Perez doused Yost with Gatorade during his on-the-field postgame interview. Ironically, Jason Kendall, who is a special assignment coach on Yost’s staff, hit a three-run homer for the Pirates. Not only was Quintana off the mark, the Royals managed to hit him hard to the tune of 10 hits and six earned runs in four innings.

“We felt like when you slide and you can’t reach the bag that’s enough for me to feel like it’s not a real slide or a bona fide slide”, Ventura said. I got a little exhausted. His hit to left field brought Escobar around for the Royals’ 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.

With the bases loaded and one out, Hosmer hit a ground ball to Carlos Sanchez, who threw to shortstop Tim Anderson covering second, forcing out Orlando.

“It wasn’t the normal stuff, the stuff you expect from him”, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.

Danny Duffy picked up his 12th win giving up 3 runs on 8 hits with 8 strike outs in 7 innings. “Just a little tweak, so he’s getting treatment”, Ventura said. “It was really neat to see”.

So, the Royals looked forward – first with Vargas, then in the batting lineup.

The White Sox pulled Jose Quintana after just four innings Sunday, the shortest start in 17 months for the usually consistent left-hander. Whit Merrifield pushed a ideal bunt down the third base line for a single, moving Dyson to second.

Morales contributed a RBI single in the first and doubled home Eric Hosmer in the fourth.

Avila singled, Frazier scored and the Royals lead was cut in half. Soria had trotted out in the top of the eighth, with two on and one out, as a round of booing ensued from the Kauffman Stadium crowd.

Smith, who was starting his third game and his second behind the plate since a September 1 call-up, said he received “a bunch of messages” on his phone, congratulating him. “He threw everything for strikes, threw everything in every situation, so he kind of makes it easy for me”. I don’t know how you have expectations on anything like that.