Chicago White Sox bounce back for a doubleheader split vs. the Kansas City Royals after falling to 12-23 in series openers

The Chicago White Sox began another series on the wrong foot Tuesday, but a pair of rookies helped them rebound to split a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals.

In a season filled with peculiar stats, the Sox continued to struggle in the first game of a series as Lance Lynn allowed two two-run homers in a 4-2 loss in Game 1 at Kauffman Stadium.

The Sox are a puzzling 12-23 in series openers this season.

“Play better,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said of the mark after Game 1.

The Sox will have to find a way without All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson, who will miss about six weeks with a sagittal band tear on his left middle finger.

The Sox benefited from the long ball in Game 2 in a 3-2 victory.

Lenyn Sosa and Yoán Moncada hit solo home runs for the Sox. Vinnie Pasquantino, who had a two-run homer in Game 1, hit a solo homer in Game 2 for the Royals.

“That was very impressive,” La Russa said of the rookie Sosa, who went 2-for-4. “And we needed every bit of it too.”

Sosa’s home run in the third was the first of his career.

“It was a very special homer, a very special moment,” Sosa said through an interpreter. “I was expecting a fastball, but when I saw that pitch (a curveball from Jonathan Heasley), I just reacted and I was able to hit the ball hard.”

Pasquantino tied the game with his homer in the fourth.

Moncada made a tremendous defensive play, fielding Nate Eaton’s grounder to third and firing to first for the final out of the fifth. Gavin Sheets made a nice scoop at first.

Moncada led off the sixth with the go-ahead homer. Sheets provided an insurance run in the eighth with a double to left that brought home Luis Robert from first.

Sox starter Davis Martin allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk in 5⅔ innings.

“Davis had a real good mix, he had real good command,” La Russa said of the rookie. “He showed different guys different things, very impressive.”

Martin pitched well again in the place where he made his big-league debut May 17.

“Fastball location was really good,” Martin said. “We were mixing the slider down and away. And the third time through, the changeup caught fire a little bit and we were able to mix that in a little bit.

“The defense worked hard behind me. Moncada’s play down the third-base line, I almost ran over and hugged him on the field.”

The Sox had several hard-hit balls in Tuesday’s opener but came up empty most of the afternoon against Royals starter Brady Singer. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks in 7⅓ innings.

“He pitched a good game,” La Russa said. “But we made some hard contact for one run. That’s just baseball.”

The one run against Singer came on Josh Harrison’s homer with one out in the third.

The Royals took the lead on Pasquantino’s two-run homer in the bottom of the third. Nick Pratto hit a two-run homer off Lynn in the sixth.

“Two pitches cost me four runs,” Lynn said.

Lynn allowed four runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk in six innings.

“Don’t make two horse(bleep) pitches that cost you four runs,” Lynn said.

Rallies came up short in the eighth and ninth for the Sox.

After bouncing back in Game 2 for the split, the Sox are 8-6 during their current stretch of 19 consecutive games against teams with sub.-500 records.

They’ll continue that stretch without Anderson. Sosa, who played second base Tuesday but also has experience at shortstop and third, is ready to contribute in any way he can.

He had a moment Tuesday he will always remember.

“I was just thinking about the happiness that my family can feel in that moment,” Sosa said of the homer. “I will display (the ball) in my house.”