White Sox beat Royals despite another bullpen collapse

The Chicago White Sox bullpen allowed seven runs in the last two innings, but they survived for a 14-11 win at the Kansas City Royals in the first of a three-game series. The White Sox were dominant early with two runs in the first inning, one in the second and three each in the third and fourth to lead 9-1 going into the fourth.

After allowing a run in the third inning and two in the fourth, White Sox starting pitcher Anthony Kay could not get out of the fifth with Kansas City putting the first two runners on base. Noah Schultz relieved Kay and retired all three batters he faced in the fifth. 

Kansas City scored on a flyout and a groundout that moved the runners up and cut the Royals' deficit to 9-4. The White Sox appeared to remove any doubt about the outcome with a five-run seventh inning. Schultz pitched two innings without allowing a baserunner and had one strikeout.

Huascar Brazoban, who returned from the injured list on Sunday, pitched a scoreless seventh to maintain the White Sox's 10-run lead. Trevor Richards, who entered the game on Tuesday with a 3.48 earned run average on the season, allowed three runs on three hits and a walk with one strikeout in the eighth inning.