Major League Baseball

Cain comes through in 8th with 2-run homer for Royals

Published Apr. 8, 2015 11:46 p.m. ET

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Lorenzo Cain made the Chicago White Sox pay after being hit by two pitches in the first two games of the series.

Cain, who was hit by a pitch in the first inning, had a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth for his third hit and the Kansas City Royals beat the White Sox 7-5 Wednesday night.

Cain homered off Zach Putnam (0-1), the fourth White Sox pitcher, after Alcides Escobar led off the inning with a single for his third hit.

''You can only hit a guy so many times before trouble develops,'' Royals manager Ned Yost said. ''I can't judge intent on either side, but guys can only stand for a guy getting hitting so much. Two times in two nights is getting to be little too much for Lorenzo.''

Cain had words with White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija, who hit him with a pitch in the fifth inning Monday. So this home run made it even sweeter.

''It's really nice,'' Cain said. ''This series has definitely been intense, a battle between us and the White Sox. To hit a home run at that time of the game definitely was a good feeling.''

Wade Davis (1-0) struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Greg Holland, who had 46 saves last year, worked the ninth for his first save. Royals relievers Jason Frasor, Kelvin Herrera, Davis and Holland combined for four scoreless innings, striking out five, after Danny Duffy exited.

Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer in the third for the Royals. Hosmer homered after Mike Moustakas was hit by a pitch and Cain singled.

''It doesn't take much to fire us up,'' Hosmer said of the White Sox plucking four Royals batters in the first 11 innings of the series.

''We're a young energetic group. We feed off different stuff like that, whether it's the crowd or something on the field like that,'' he added.

Both teams were issued a warning by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt.

Tyler Flowers homered with two outs in the second with Adam LaRoche and Gordon Beckham aboard to give the White Sox a 3-1 lead.

White Sox starter Jose Quintana yielded five runs on nine hits, a walk and two hit batters. Duffy went five-plus innings, permitting five runs on eight hits.

''They have a pretty good lineup,'' Quintana said. ''They had a lot of contact. It was one pitch, Hosmer's home run, it changed my game.''

The White Sox have lost 13 of their past 16 games to the Royals and have been outscored 86-43.

TRAINER'S ROOM

White Sox: LHP Chris Sale, who broke his right foot in spring training, said he is set to start Sunday against the Twins. ''I was hurt. I'm not hurt anymore,'' Sale said. ''I think it's time to take blinders off and run the race.'' ... White Sox RHP Jake Petricka, who is on the disabled list with an upper back strain, threw a bullpen session on the Tuesday off day and could come off the disabled list next week.

Royals: LF Alex Gordon, who has right wrist surgery in December, will likely be rested Thursday. Manager Ned Yost said Gordon experienced wrist soreness in spring training when he played a day game after a night game and ''we sat him three days'' after that. Yost said rookie OF Paulo Orlando would start in left.

SPEEDY PEREZ

Royals catcher Salvador Perez swiped second base on a delayed steal in the fifth inning. It was his second career stolen base. The other was April 4, 2014, also against the White Sox.

BECKHAM'S MILESTONE

Beckham's fourth-inning single brought his total bases to 1,000 on 654 hits.

UP NEXT

White Sox: LHP John Danks is 7-0 with a 2.43 ERA in 16 career starts against the Royals. He is 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA in 10 career outings at Kauffman Stadium.

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez makes his KC debut after signing as a free agent on December 29.