Royals hope for better results in second shot at Rodon
When he faced the Kansas City Royals last weekend, Carlos Rodon outpitched Yordano Ventura to salvage a victory in the finale of the Chicago White Sox's three-game home series.
Now he'll try to get the best of the Royals on the road and help the White Sox avoid a season-high fifth straight defeat Saturday against surging Kansas City.
Rodon (2-4, 4.47 ERA) had his plus-slider working for Chicago (27-22) on Sunday when he earned his first victory since April 13. He allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings in a 3-2 win after Kansas City had opened the series with 4-1 and 2-1 victories.
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"His confidence grows as he goes along, of just who he is and where he belongs and how he's doing," manager Robin Ventura said of his 23-year-old left-hander.
Rodon hopes to stymie the defending champs again in the second of this rain-shortened three-game series. He owns a 3.20 ERA over his last four home starts, but he's struggled with a 6.59 mark in his past two on the road.
Lorenzo Cain and Paulo Orlando had two hits apiece when facing Rodon last weekend.
Eric Hosmer did most of the damage Friday with three hits and four RBIs as Kansas City rallied from a four-run, sixth-inning deficit for a 7-5 victory in the series opener. He had a two-run single off left-hander Zach Duke to put the Royals ahead in the seventh.
"(Duke has) got really good offspeed stuff," Hosmer said of his go-ahead hit. "I told myself that's what he likes to go to. I just wanted to see it. I put something in play, trying to make something happen and finally had some luck on my side, our side."
Rookie Whit Merrifield had his fourth straight two-hit game and added two RBIs.
Even without the injured Mike Moustakas, Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon, the Royals (25-22) have averaged 7.3 runs and batted .360 over their last four games. They've also moved within one game of the AL Central-leading White Sox by winning eight of 11.
'Not only can they swing it, but they've got some guys that can, if they put the bat on it, can really beat some things out," Robin Ventura said.
Yordano Ventura (4-3, 4.81) only has two quality starts in his last five outings, though one came when he allowed three runs over six innings in Sunday's loss to the White Sox.
The right-hander has a 2.84 ERA in three meetings over the past two seasons. He's 1-3 with a 5.88 ERA in five road starts, but is 3-0 with a 3.57 ERA over his four at home.
Todd Frazier went 2 for 2 with a home run off Ventura on Sunday, while Melky Cabrera had a double and the go-ahead two-run single. Frazier moved into a tie for the MLB lead with his 15th homer and Cabrera hit a grand slam Friday, but the White Sox are clinging to a half-game division lead over Cleveland after losing for the 12th time in 16 games.
They've particularly scuffled offensively, averaging 3 runs in the last 13 games. They've scored a combined 10 while hitting .219 and striking out 34 times versus Kansas City.