CHICAGO (AP) — Shane Smith allowed one hit in a career-high seven innings, Korey Lee hit a two-run homer, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-0 on Monday night.
Smith (4-7) pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his career, facing just 23 batters on 80 pitches.
Lee, in his first start since getting called up from Triple-A Charlotte, drove a shot over the left-field wall for his first home run of the season for a 5-0 lead in the fourth. Brooks Baldwin followed with a home run near the same spot for a six-run lead.
Chicago has won three straight games after losing 14 of 18.
Kansas City dropped to 13-10 in August. The Royals entered having scored at least five runs in 20 of 34 games (58.8%) since the All-Star break, tied with Milwaukee for the most in the majors.
Kansas City starter Noah Cameron (7-6) allowed six earned runs and eight hits in five innings.
Mike Yastrzemski hit a double in the third and Bobby Witt Jr. had one in the ninth for the Royals’ two hits.
Key moment
Chicago scored three runs on four hits in the first inning. Edgar Quero hit a shot into the gap in left-center field to score Chase Meidroth from first to open the scoring. Lenyn Sosa followed with a hit into the right-field gap for back-to-back doubles. Curtis Mead added Chicago’s third double for his third RBI of the season and a 3-0 lead.
Key stat
Chicago scored in the first inning for the third time in four games after doing so just once in the previous nine.
Up next
Royals RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-8, 4.50) is scheduled to make his 21st start of the season while White Sox LHP Martín Pérez (1-3, 2.51) will be making his sixth start.