White Sox get much-needed three-game sweep in Kansas City

Nick Madrigal

Games against the Kansas City Royals have been a painful experience for White Sox fans over the past decade. Sure, the Royals were good in 2014 and 2015, but in a lot of other seasons, you felt as though the Sox were the better team, but it did not play out that way in head-to-head matchups.

Take 2019, for example. The Royals were 59-103, but they still managed to go 10-9 against the Sox. That probably should not have happened, but it did.

Given that history, it was really nice to see the Sox win all three games in Kansas City this weekend, by a combined score of 23-9.

In roster moves of note, Nick Madrigal received his overdue call-up and started all three games at second base. He went hitless the first two games, before breaking out with a 4-for-5 performance that included two runs scored and an RBI in the series finale.

Relief pitcher Kelvin Herrera was thankfully designated for assignment. Since joining the Sox before the start of the 2019 season, he appeared in 59 games and posted a 6.54 ERA. In two appearances this season, he allowed four earned runs -- including two homers -- over 2.1 innings. His fastball velocity was sitting in the low 90s -- it was in the upper 90s in Herrera's prime -- and the right-hander would have automatically had his contract option picked up for 2021 if he made 21 appearances during this shortened season.

The Sox simply could not allow that to happen. It was time for Herrera to go, and he is gone.

In less happy news, shortstop Tim Anderson strained his groin in Friday's game against the Royals, and he's on the 10-day injured list. The Sox will need to survive with Leury Garcia and Danny Mendick playing that position for the time being.

Catcher Yermin Mercedes was recalled to take Anderson's spot on the 30-man roster.

Here are some other thoughts on each of the weekend games:

Friday, July 31
White Sox 3, Royals 2: The key sequence of this game came in the top of the second inning. Eloy Jimenez reached on an error, right before Luis Robert beat out what should have been a sure double-play ball. It should have been two outs with nobody on base. Instead, Robert was on first with one out. James McCann was hit by a pitch, and Adam Engel hit a three-run homer off Kansas City lefty Kris Bubic to put the Sox ahead, 3-0.

Dallas Keuchel (2-0) allowed two runs over 5.2 innings to pick up his second win with the Sox, and three relievers combined to make a one-run lead stick the rest of the way. Alex Colome pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season.

Saturday Aug. 1
White Sox 11, Royals 5: After Anderson got injured Friday night, Robert moved into the leadoff spot and turned in a dominant performance. The rookie center fielder went 4 for 6 with a homer, two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs.

Jimenez also finished a triple short of the cycle. He went 4 for 6 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer that capped off a four-run top of the first.

The Sox finished with 21 hits as a team. Garcia also had a four-hit night in place of Anderson at shortstop. Yasmani Grandal's two-out, two-run double in the top of the ninth took the score from 7-4 to 9-4, and the Sox piled on from there.

Rookie reliever Matt Foster got the win in his first major league appearance, and rookie Codi Heuer got his first career save, because he entered in the eighth when the score was 7-4. The Sox needed seven pitchers to get through the game, but the offense was good enough to carry the day.

Sunday, Aug. 2
White Sox 9, Royals 2: This game was tied at 2 through six innings, but the Sox erupted for seven runs in the top of the seventh to put the game away. The rally was started and finished by Madrigal, who led off the inning with a single and capped it with an RBI single.

The inning also featured a two-out, two-run single by the erstwhile Nicky Delmonico, who has been struggling mightily to get anything done at the plate. Credit Delmonico for capitalizing on a hanging slider from Greg Holland, but you know, he's still only batting .150 for the season.

The rally made a winner of Dylan Cease (1-1), who bounced back from a crummy outing against the Indians with six innings of two-run ball. Cease struck out four and walked only one.

The Sox are now 5-4 heading into a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers. The first two will be played in Wisconsin. The second two will be played on the South Side. Here are your pitching probables:

Monday, 7:10 p.m.: Carlos Rodon (0-1, 12.27 ERA) vs. Brett Anderson
Tuesday, 7:10 p.m.: Lucas Giolito (0-1, 6.52 ERA) vs. Brandon Woodruff (1-1, 1.59 ERA)
Wednesday, 7:10 p.m.: Keuchel (2-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Adrian Houser (0-0, 1.80 ERA)
Thursday, 7:10 p.m.: Gio Gonzalez (0-0, 7.36 ERA vs. TBA