CHICAGO — The Royals arrived in Chicago on Wednesday night, fresh off winning a series against the Padres in San Diego.
A day off Thursday allowed the Royals a chance to rest up for a series against the White Sox.
Any momentum from that trip to Southern California evaporated in the City of Big Shoulders over the weekend. The White Sox beat the Royals 5-2 on Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field, capping Chicago’s three-game sweep.
Blame the lost weekend on the bats.
White Sox starter Lance Lynn entered Sunday with a 6.66 ERA, but he bedeviled the Royals, allowing just two runs on four hits in six innings. Lynn got 19 swings and misses from Royals batters, who struck out six times.
The Royals scored just three runs on 12 hits in the series and finished a three-city road trip with a 2-7 record.
That dropped the Royals’ overall record to 14-34. They are in last place in the American League Central, five games behind the fourth-place White Sox.
The Royals are on pace to score 624 runs, which would be the sixth-fewest over a full season in Royals history.
The power of love
With all due respect to the late Thomas Wolfe, you can go home again. Royals second baseman Michael Massey proved that Sunday.
Massey, who grew up in Chicagoland area as a White Sox fan, continued to mash against his boyhood favorite. On Sunday, Massey clubbed a two-run homer in the first inning.
It came the day after Massey got engaged.
Hernández dominates
Royals starter Carlos Hernández blew away the White Sox in his two-inning stint as an opener. Hernández didn’t allow a baserunner, and struck out two, topping 100 mph five times.
Here is how Hernández looked on Sunday.
Key moment
The Royals held a 2-1 lead in fifth inning when Chicago’s Clint Frazier and Gavin Sheets opened the home half with singles off Max Castillo.
Former Royals infielder Hanser Alberto’s bunt moved the runners to second and third, and they scored on Romy González’s triple. González then came home on a sacrifice fly by another former Royal, Andrew Benintendi.
What’s next:The Royals will open a three-game series against the Tigers on Monday at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. Brady Singer will start for the Royals. Michael Lorenzen is the Tigers’ scheduled starter.
