Maybe a different venue is all it takes? Consider these numbers:
- White Sox record vs. Royals at Kansas City: 0-7
- White Sox record vs. Royals at Rate Field: 3-1
- White Sox runs scored vs. Royals in three games Aug. 15-17: 5
- White Sox runs scored vs. Royals in the first four innings Monday: 6
The Sox were ready for Kansas City left-hander Noah Cameron (7-6) on Monday night at Rate Field, scoring three runs in the first inning and three more in the fourth. The early offense led to an easy 7-0 victory.
After Chase Meidroth started the bottom of the first with a single, the Sox stacked up three run-scoring doubles by Edgar Quero, Lenyn Sosa and Curtis Mead to take a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, the Sox hit back-to-back homers. Korey Lee's two-run shot made it 5-0. Brooks Baldwin followed with a solo blast.
But perhaps the story of this game was starting pitcher Shane Smith (4-7), who needed only 80 pitches to complete seven innings of shutout ball. Smith struck out three, walked one and allowed just one hit. He threw 54 of his 80 pitches for strikes.
After a midseason malaise, the rookie right-hander looks rejuvenated since coming off the injured list on Aug. 1. In five starts this month, Smith is 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA. He's got 24 strikeouts against 11 walks across 27.1 innings pitched. He's allowed only 16 hits, which means he's only allowing one batter to reach base per inning over that span.
That's what you're looking for from a starting pitcher.
Tyler Gilbert pitched two innings of scoreless relief to finish off a combined two-hitter in Monday's game.
The Sox are 48-83.
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