Royals Beat White Sox 13-9 to Widen Lead

Aaron Guiel hit a three-run double in a seven-run sixth inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 13-9 Monday night to extend their AL Central lead to three games.

The Royals snapped a five-game losing skid to the second-place White Sox and regained some of the momentum they lost after being swept in a three-game series in Kansas City last week.

Angel Berroa drove in three runs, Dee Brown had a career-high four hits and starter Runelvys Hernandez (6-4) went five shaky innings for the win.

Chicago’s Frank Thomas homered for his 2,000th career hit. Joe Crede and Jose Valentin also connected.

Kansas City scored seven in the sixth to take a 10-6 lead. Guiel hit a liner in the gap to left-center, and Berroa’s double scored two. Berroa had two hits in the sixth, and Brent Mayne and Raul Ibanez added RBIs in an inning that saw both White Sox manager Jerry Manuel and reliever Matt Ginter ejected.

Manuel and Ginter were tossed after the right-hander hit Ibanez with a pitch – the third hit batsman of the game.

Crede’s three-run homer capped a four-run fifth and put Chicago up 6-3. Valentin added an RBI single in the fifth.

However, the White Sox bullpen couldn’t hold the lead.

Recently acquired Scott Schoeneweis (2-2) came in for starter Jon Garland and failed to get an out, allowing four runs on three hits and a walk before leaving to boos.

Chicago added two in the sixth to make it 10-8 on Ken Harvey’s throwing error and Thomas’ long homer to left-center. The White Sox slugger emerged from the dugout for a curtain call.

Valentin homered in the seventh to cut the deficit to 10-9, but the Royals added three runs in the ninth on an error by Crede at third and RBI singles by Brown and Joe Randa.

Al Levine, acquired from Tampa Bay just before the trade deadline, pitched two perfect innings for his first save.

Royals outfielder Michael Tucker was carried off on a stretcher in the sixth after fouling a ball off his right leg. X-rays revealed just a bone bruise and Tucker returned to the dugout with crutches. He is day-to-day.

Neither team’s starter was effective. Hernandez gave up six runs in five innings on eight hits and four walks.

Garland lasted five innings, allowing four runs on six hits.

Kansas City took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on RBI singles by Desi Relaford and Brown and a sacrifice fly by Berroa.

The White Sox went up 1-0 in the first on an RBI single by Carl Everett. Chicago added another run in the second when Hernandez walked three batters with two outs to force in a run.

Hernandez got out of the inning when Magglio Ordonez hit a liner right at second baseman Relaford with the bases loaded.

Notes:@ Hernandez hit Thomas in the arm with a pitch in the first inning. Thomas was plunked after Guiel was hit by a pitch to lead off the game. Garland then knocked Tucker down in the second, drawing cheers from the crowd. … The Royals returned to Chicago for the first time since the April 15-17 series when four fans ran onto the field in the opening game, including one who attacked an umpire. No fan ran onto the field Monday. … The White Sox stranded six runners in the first three innings.