KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Wellington Castillo delivered a go-ahead two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Chicago White Sox rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Saturday night.
Lucas Giolito had kept the White Sox in the game against a stingy Ian Kennedy, turning over a 3-1 deficit to his bullpen. Danny Farquhar (1-0) and the rest of the relief corps managed to shut down the Royals while Castillo and the Chicago offense bailed their starter out.
The rally began when Yoan Moncada hit a towering home run off Brandon Maurer (0-1) to begin the eighth. Avisail Garcia followed with a single, Jose Abreu grounded into a fielder’s choice and Matt Davidson drew a walk before Castillo’s two-run liner to right field.
Nate Jones worked around a single in the eighth, and former Royals reliever Joakim Soria got Whit Merrifield to fly out with runners on first and second for his first save with the White Sox.
Kennedy allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two over six innings, an encouraging outing after last season. Kennedy picked up his player option mainly because he was so bad during an injury-plagued year that he assumed he would have few other suitors.
Giolito matched Kennedy most of the night, though. He surrendered four hits, walked four, threw a wild pitch and a hit a batter, but he also allowed only three runs over six scattershot innings.
That was good enough against the Royals’ dismal bullpen.
He couldn’t replicate the feat on Saturday night.
Lucas Duda drove in a pair of runs and Cheslor Cuthbert had the other RBI for the Royals, whose effort at small ball on a cold, blustery evening nearly beat the powerful White Sox.
Chicago matched a major league record by belting six home runs on opening day.
MINOR MOVES
Royals right-hander Wily Peralta cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha. He was designated for assignment Thursday. … The Royals signed veteran right-hander Kyle Lohse to a minor league deal. The 39-year-old last pitched in the majors in 2016, going 0-2 with a 12.51 ERA for the Rangers.
UP NEXT
If freezing temperatures and the threat of snow hold off, the White Sox will summon RHP Reynaldo Lopez to the hill for the series finale Sunday. Kansas City will send RHP Jason Hammel to the mound.