Bonkers.
Ventura rolled through the first inning, but the White Sox strung together three singles to open the scoring in the second. Tyler Saladino then plated three with a home run into left, putting Chicago up 4-0 after two.
Things didn't get better from there. Ventura yielded a two-run home run in the fourth to Avisail Garcia, putting the game presumably out of reach. An error by Omar Infante allowed another run to cross in the fifth.
Ventura's final line was seven innings, nine hits, seven runs, six earned, no walks, and four strikeouts. He threw just 107 pitches on the afternoon, despite the hits.
But really, that is the thinnest of silver linings. Ventura, outside of a pair of starts, has been absolutely horrendous this year. From an observational standpoint, the word 'tinkering' comes to mind. Tinkering with his delivery. Tinkering with his velocity. Tinkering with pitch types, pitch sequencing, etc. Tinker, tinker, tinker. Nothing is working, which kind of makes you think that the tinkering, much like a Chrome extension which is presumably supposed to be helping, is in fact the problem.
In the "when it rains, it pours" category, Salvador Perez left the game in the ninth inning. After chasing after a low, looping foul ball, Cuthbert collided into Perez's left knee. The same knee that suffered a torn meniscus back in 2012.
But bonkers.
The Royals, for their part, could not cash in on their scoring opportunities. Multiple innings with multiple base runners and less than two outs, only to come up short. Bases loaded in the second. Two on, no out in the third. Both combined for one run.
Then, they made the game interesting in the ninth. Cheslor Cuthbert singled and Brett Eibner doubled. Following an Omar Infante walk to load the bases, Alcides Escobar then worked a full count and drew a walk, scoring Cuthbert. Whit the Hit Merrifield then hit a sharp ground ball off the glove of Robertson, which rolled into right field, allowing two more runs to score.
Lorenzo Cain then grounded into a fielder's choice, making the score 7-5 with Eric Hosmer standing in as the tying run. Crime Horse then doubled into deep right center, scoring Cain from first base. At that point, having seen his closer throw thirty pitches in a non-save situation, having yielded five runs with a runner on, Robin Ventura decided that maybe a new bullpen arm was needed.
Lo and behold, the game came down to Drew Butera, who came in for Perez in the ninth. Butera doubled into deep left field, tying the game 7-7. Fitting that it sailed over the head of Melky Cabrera, a sight very familiar to Royals fans on account of Cabrera's time with the club.
Paulo Orlando, he of the 336 career plate appearances, was then intentionally walked. Butera moved to third on a wild pitch during the intentional walk, which is a keen illustration of how bananas this game–and this inning–was. Jarrod Dyson pinch hit for Cuthbert, who appeared to be favoring his leg when he scored the first run of the inning. On a 2-1 count, several pitches after Orlando had moved up to second on defensive indifference, Ventura then decided to put Dyson on intentionally, loading the bases and putting the game on Brett Eibner's broad, rippling shoulders.
Eibner battled, fouling off several pitches and working a full count on Kahnle. On the ninth pitch of the at bat, Eibner smashed a low line drive to first base, deflecting off of Jose Abreu to score the winning run. Kansas City scored seven runs in the ninth inning to take the series off of the White Sox, their fifth consecutive series win.
Just bonkers.
Tomorrow, Kansas City goes for the sweep. Edinson Volquez (5-4, 3.67 ERA) faces off against Chris Sale (9-1, 2.26).