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Sale, White Sox edge Royals

Chicago,  IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Adam Dunn hit a two-run single in the first 
inning  and  Chris Sale did  the rest  as the Chicago White Sox eked past the 
struggling Kansas City Royals, 3-1, in the opener of a three-game series 

The  Royals,  hoping to continue their  recent success at U.S. Cellular Field, 
ran  into a  buzzsaw in  Sale, who  tossed seven  innings of  one-run ball  in 
lowering his ERA to 2.03 on the year. 

Sale (9-1) scattered seven hits and a walk while fanning eight as Chicago came 
away victorious for the fourth time in six games. 

"I  felt really good tonight," Sale said. "These are the dog days, and we have 
to bear down now." 

Kansas  City,  which had won 10  of its previous 11  as the visitor in this AL 
Central series, has scored just 17 runs during a 1-7 slump. 

Jeremy Guthrie (5-9) settled down after a rough start but still took the loss, 
having allowed three runs on five hits and three walks over six frames. 

Adam  Eaton  led off  the home first  with a base  hit, Guthrie plunked Alexei 
Ramirez, and Jose Abreu reached on a Danny Valencia error to load the bases. 

Dunn  beat the  shift with a base hit  up the middle to plate a pair, and even 
though  Guthrie limited  the damage  to  just those  two runs,  it was  enough 
support for Sale. 

The  only run the Royals produced off the stingy lefty came in the fourth when 
Alex  Gordon singled, stole second with two away and scored on Valencia's base 
hit to center. 

Alcides  Escobar followed with a double down the left-field line, and Valencia 
nearly scored the tying run but was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay 
between Alejandro De Aza and Ramirez. 

The White Sox  added an insurance run  in the sixth, as they loaded the bases 
and  watched  Dunn avoid Brett Hayes'  swipe tag on Gordon Beckham's sacrifice 
fly to center. Jarrod Dyson's throw home was up the line, and replay confirmed 
Hayes narrowly missed the slow-moving Dunn before he crossed the plate. 

Sale  stranded a pair  in the sixth by striking out Valencia and Escobar, then 
retired the side in the seventh before giving way to the bullpen. 

"He's  one of  the best pitchers in  the league," Valencia said of Sale. "He's 
got three really good pitches." 

Ronald  Belisario hurled  a 1-2-3 eighth, and Jake Petricka tossed a scoreless 
ninth to post his fourth save of the year. 

                                   Game Notes 

Sale  has  allowed three runs or  less in 14 of  his 15 starts this season ... 
Abreu  doubled  in the  seventh to extend  his hitting streak  to 12 games ... 
Guthrie  came in 4-0  in his previous five games at U.S. Cellular Field with a 
1.30 ERA. 

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