Missed opportunities at the plate spoil Bubic’s debut in 3-2 loss

Kris Bubic gave up a three-run home run but otherwise looked solid in his big league debut, however the offense could not scratch together enough runs in a 3-2 loss to Chicago in the season home opener.

The 22-year old left-hander had mixed results in his first Major League start, but overall showed good poise and an impressive change up. He got into a bit of trouble immediately, giving up a double to Tim Anderson to start the game, and walking Yoan Moncada. But he got out of it by inducing a ground ball double play by Jose Abreu, and striking out Yasmani Grandal for his first big league strikeout.

In the second, Eloy Jimenez reached on an error by Nicky Lopez and Bubic plunked catcher James McCann. Light-hitting Adam Engel took advantage and smacked a three-run home run off Bubic to make it 3-0 Chicago. Bubic settled down after that, giving up no other runs in four innings of work, with three strikeouts, one walk, and three hits allowed.

The Royals got a run back in the third with a rally that looked straight out of 2014. A couple of well-placed groundballs gave Nicky Lopez and Adalberto Mondesi singles, and Salvador Perez looped one into left for an RBI single to make it 3-1 Chicago.

Ryan McBroom ripped a double in his first at-bat, but did one better in the sixth, smacking the first home run of his Major League career.

A batter later, White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel would exit the game after 5 ¹⁄₃ innings and a 3-2 lead.

The Royals bullpen continued to look impressive. Tyler Zuber, Josh Staumont, Trevor Rosenthal, and Greg Holland combined to toss five shutout innings with four strikeouts and just one walk. Staumont was regularly hitting 99 on the radar gun. Defensively, Alex Gordon welcomed White Sox rookie Nick Madrigal to the big leagues by throwing him out at the plate. You’ll learn kid, you’ll learn.

But the offense wasted opportunities all night, usually when Maikel Franco was up. He left the bases loaded in the third, stranded two more runners in the fifth, and again stranded two runners in the seventh. The Royals drew just one walk - which snapped 29 innings in a row without a walk - but making it the seventh time in eight games they have drawn two walks or less. Alex Colome closed things out for the Sox to preserve the 3-2 win, despite just four hits for the White Sox.

The Royals and White Sox will face off again Saturday evening at 6:05 CT with Gio Gonzalez scheduled to pitch for Chicago against Ronald Bolaños.