CHICAGO (AP) — Gavin Sheets homered, Erick Fedde pitched scoreless ball into the sixth inning and the struggling Chicago White Sox edged the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Wednesday for a doubleheader split that ended a six-game slide.
Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning of the opener to put the Royals ahead, and Kansas City went on to win 4-2.
Paul DeJong had a five-hit day, adding two singles in the second game after going 3 for 3 in the first with a homer, double and walk. The White Sox are off to the worst start in franchise history at 3-15.
“I don’t think I’ve played a doubleheader where we did 30 minutes in-between,” DeJong said. “Two full nines, so it was a grinder day, but we got it done in the second game.
“To win a tight game against a team that’s kind of beaten us all year, that’s special for us.”
The doubleheader was scheduled after Tuesday night’s game was rained out. The Royals (12-7) are 6-1 against the AL Central rival White Sox.
Fedde (1-0) allowed three hits, including two infield singles, over 5 2/3 innings for his first win with Chicago. The 31-year-old right-hander signed with the White Sox in December after pitching in South Korea last season.
“It went really well,” Fedde said of his fourth start with Chicago. “I felt like I was able to get leadoff guys out, control counts. Had a few walks (three), but I picked my places with it and got to good situations overall.”
Sheets’ solo shot in the sixth off Michael Wacha struck the right-field foul pole and put Chicago ahead 2-0. Dominic Fletcher drove in Chicago’s first run with a single in the fourth.
Hunter Renfroe knocked in a run with a groundout in the seventh against Tanner Banks, Chicago’s first reliever. Deivi Garcia followed with two scoreless innings for his second career save and first this season.
Wacha (1-1) yielded two runs and four hits in six innings. The veteran righty struck out four and walked two.
“Our hitters will be there. They come up clutch, they get timely hitting,” Wacha said. “It just wasn’t in the cards today.”
It was in the opener, though, when Perez homered off Michael Kopech to left-center to give the Royals a 3-2 lead. Kansas City’s eight-time All-Star catcher started both ends of the twinbill after missing Monday’s game with a groin injury.
“Clearly, that home run was the huge point in the game,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “But regardless, I thought (Perez) looked really good prior to that, too.”
Perez launched the first pitch he saw from the hard-throwing Kopech with two outs for his fifth home run.
