Baseball can be a tiring game. Playing once is enough to wear out even the most physically fit professional athlete, but playing two can be downright exhausting. The Royals were unable to capitalize on their afternoon win with a sweep, instead looking lifeless in a 2-0 loss to Chicago in the nightcap. The Royals could muster just four hits in six shutout innings against John Danks. Danks, despite having a down year, continues his mastery of the Royals, improving to 9-1 against them in his career.
Volquez pitched admirably, despite getting peppered by line drives early in the game. He pitched into the seventh, sprinkling eight hits and two runs, but the Royals lost for the third time in his last fourteen starts.
The White Sox got on the board in the second off Volquez when Avisail Garcia tripled. Tyler Flowers would follow up with an RBI single to make it 1-0 Chicago. In the sixth, Melky Cabrera doubled, then advanced to third on Jose Abreu's fly out. He would score on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 White Sox. That would be all the Sox needed as the Royals managed to get just three runners into scoring position all night. The Royals offense was absent, even despite some surprising plate discipline that included a pair of walks by Alcides Escobar and a walk by Alex Rios.
Speaking of Rios, he had some adventures on defense. He dropped a pair of fly balls, one of which was ruled an error. Perhaps it was returning to the city where he was benched not once, but twice for failing to hustle, but Rios did not seem to be having a good night in the field. Despite cracking a home run this afternoon, there is already a petition to bench Rios and start Paulo Orlando.
Tonight was a tale of two games, but the Royals can bounce back and take this series. They just have to get eight hours of sleep, eat their Wheaties, and give 110% tomorrow.