White Sox knock off Royals

Lucas Giolito took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and Jose Abreu and Yonder Alonso smacked back-to-back home runs in the fourth to propel the visiting Chicago White Sox past the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Sunday afternoon.

The White Sox salvaged the finale of the season-opening, three-game series as Giolito continued his sterling, early-career stretch against the Royals. The right-hander entered the game with a 2.35 career ERA against Kansas City and a 3.24 ERA at spacious Kauffman Stadium. Giolito (1-0) maintained his success on Sunday, spacing two runs on three hits in 6 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out eight.

Chicago backed Giolito with an 11-hit attack that also included a measure of patience. The White Sox coaxed a pair of bases-loaded, run-scoring walks in the sixth, as Alonso worked back from a 1-2 count before Eloy Jimenez also walked.

Alonso, Abreu, Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson and James McCann had two hits apiece for the White Sox, with Alonso collecting three RBIs.

The Royals finally got to Giolito in the seventh as Alex Gordon broke up the no-hitter with a one-out single. One out later, Ryan O'Hearn smacked an RBI double to score Gordon, and O'Hearn scored on an RBI single from Lucas Duda.

Adalberto Mondesi had a run-scoring single in the eighth inning for the Royals.

Jorge Lopez (0-1) took the loss, giving up four runs on six hits in five innings, walking one and striking out five. Lopez compiled a 4.41 ERA over 16 1/3 innings during spring training, and his season debut was patchy as the Royals were unable to secure the series sweep.

Alex Colome, acquired in the offseason in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season. Colome struck out O'Hearn and induced a Duda flyout before Chris Owings ended the game on a groundout back to the mound.

A crowd of 12,669 attended the game, which was played in sunny, 40-degree weather.

--Field Level Media