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CHICAGO -- Ian Kennedy wanted to talk about Chris Sales outing more than his own performance.What did he go, eight innings, 12 punchouts? Kennedy said. You know youre going up against one of the best pitchers in the American League. I just wanted to go out there and try to give our team a chance.Kennedy did a lot better than that, combining with three relievers on a two-hitter and helping the Kansas City Royals edge Sale and the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Sunday.The key for Kansas City was swinging early. Kendrys Morales homered on Sales first pitch of the second and Eric Hosmer did the same in the fourth.Honestly, I just try to get out of that box as quick as I can without getting embarrassed, Hosmer said.The Royals won their second straight to stay four games behind Baltimore for the final AL wild-card spot. They have to jump five teams over the final 20 games to reach the playoffs for the third straight year.We needed this, Hosmer said.Kennedy (11-9) walked four, but Adam Eatons leadoff single was the only hit off the right-hander in six innings. He improved to 5-0 in his last six starts.Peter Moylan and Kelvin Herrera each threw a perfect inning before Wade Davis worked around Eatons single and a walk in the ninth for his 24th save.Sale (15-8) struck out 12 in eight innings while becoming the first White Sox pitcher with four consecutive 200-strikeout seasons. It was his third game of 10 or more strikeouts this season and No. 34 for his career.Sale also went over 200 innings for the second straight season.I think more than anything, its the innings, Sale said. I was told very early on when I got here 200 innings was the benchmark for a starting pitcher.But Sale, who has gone at least eight innings in five straight starts, has just one win since starting for the AL in the All-Star Game. It has fueled speculation Sale could be traded in the offseason to help a rare rebuilding project for the struggling franchise.I dont worry about that stuff. Itll shake out on its own, Sale said. I wear this uniform with a lot of pride and I hope I can continue to do that.Kennedy, who struck out six, stymied Chicago despite occasional control issues amid his late-season turnaround.He walked the bases loaded in the third with two out before Melky Cabrera flied to right. Kennedy worked around another walk in the fifth when Tyler Saladino lined to the mound to start a double play.Davis got Jose Abreu to line to right and struck out Justin Morneau with two on to close the Royals fourth win in six games.Its hard to bunch offense against Chris Sale, Royals manager Ned Yost said. You have to hope you can get a pitch and not miss it. Thats what Mo did. Thats what Hos did and you just hope that your pitching matches.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: Yost said OF Lorenzo Cain (sprained left wrist) will see a specialist and theyll decide in a week if hell be shut down for the season. Were just doing everything we can right now, Cain said. Hopefully, I can get back on the field. ... C Salvador Perez started a second straight game in his return from a wrist injury. Salvy is a different scenario, its just a bone contusion, Yost said.White Sox: Sale stayed in after taking a liner off his knee in the third. He recovered to throw out Paulo Orlando at first.MEMORIESThe 15-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks hit home for both managers. Chicagos Robin Ventura was playing for the Mets and Yost was with the Braves then. The teams faced off in the first game in New York after the attack.Both men brought up the significance of Mike Piazzas game-winning home run.People could cheer, people could hug each other and laugh and root for their team again, Ventura said.UP NEXTRoyals: Oakland comes to Kansas City for four games, with Royals RHP Dillon Gee (6-7, 4.34 ERA) facing LHP Ross Detwiler (1-3, 5.15 ERA) on Monday.White Sox: AL Central-leading Cleveland visits for four games starting Monday, with RHP Miguel Gonzalez (3-6, 3.81 ERA) facing RHP Carlos Carrasco (11-7, 3.15 ERA). Shareef Abdur-Rahim Jersey .ca! Kerry, Two nights after the Scott-Eriksson incident in Buffalo, the Bruins returned home to play San Jose. In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head. Grizzlies Jerseys China . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. https://www.cheapgrizzlies.com/934p-ja-morant-jersey-grizzlies.html .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. Solomon Hill Jersey . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Zach Randolph Jersey .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. Kansas City is in need of a boost heading into the All-Star break.The reigning World Series champion Royals have dropped five of six entering Thursdays opener of their four-game series with the Seattle Mariners in Kansas City, which will bring both teams into the break.Kansas City suffered its fourth straight loss Wednesday night while stumbling through a three-game sweep by Toronto, which concluded with a 4-2 defeat.The Royals (43-41) havent been as dominant since ending a 30-year title drought last year, but theyre only a hot streak from contending in the American League Central.Were an aggressive team when were swinging the bats well, Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. Right now, were just not making any hard contact.Seattle, meanwhile, had won five of eight entering Wednesdays series finale at Houston, which it lost 9-8 after starter Wade LeBlanc gave up five runs in 3 1/3 innings.The Mariners (43-42) took two of three when the teams first met this year on April 29-May 1, blanking Kansas City in the first two games. Last season, the Royals won four of six against the Mariners.Two 27-year-old southpaws toe the rubber Thursday as Seattles James Paxton (2-3, 4.24 ERA) counters Kansas Citys Danny Duffy (4-1, 3.11).Paxton is making his eighth start in place of ace Felix Hernandez, who landed on the disabled list June 1 with with a strained right calf.He is 2/3 with a 4.24 ERA in place of Hernandez, who threw a 45-pitch, three inning simulated game Wednesday and said he is ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment.That was pretty good, to get back out there and face some hitters, Hernandez told MLB.com. That last inning was 100 perccent.dddddddddddd I picked up the intensity and it was way better. It felt pretty good. Im happy.In his last outing, Paxton surrendered four runs (three earned), nine hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of Saturdays victory over Baltimore.Paxton has experienced smooth sailing against the Royals historically, going 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA in two starts against the defending champs.One of his best starts came against Kansas City in 2013, when he struck out a career-high 10 batters while holding the Royals scoreless on four hits and no walks in seven innings.Eric Hosmer is the only Kansas City batter with more than one hit off Paxton, going 2-for-4 against him.Duffy is looking to make it three straight starts of at least eight innings after allowing just four runs while striking out 16 in his last 16 2/3 innings entering Wednesday.On Saturday, Duffy limited Philadelphia to two runs and seven hits in a personal-best 8 2/3 innings, fanning eight for the third consecutive start. He also didnt walk a batter for the second straight outing.In his last six starts, Duffy has had his punch-out pitch working, striking out eight or more in five of those outings -- including a career-high 10 on June 11 at the Chicago White Sox.Duffy is 0-1 with a 1.69 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) against the Mariners. Robinson Cano has given him fits, going 4-for-11 (.364) with a homer and four RBI.Chris Ianetta has two hits against Duffy, going 2-for-6 with a homer and two RBI, and Kyle Seager is 3-for-8. ' ' '