Gio Gonzalez helps pitch White Sox to 11-5 rout of Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gio Gonzalez made his first start for the hot-hitting Chicago White Sox more than 16 years after they drafted him, and the veteran responded by holding the Kansas City Royals scoreless into the fourth inning of an 11-5 rout Saturday night.

He got plenty of help from an offense that had three different players pile up four hits apiece.

Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert were two of them, each finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Jimenez hit a three-run homer to go with a double and two singles while Robert homered and had two doubles and a single from the lead-off spot.

Throw in four hits from Leury Garcia, three from Yoan Moncada and a couple from Yasmani Grandal, who also drove in two runs, and the White Sox finished with 21 hits against Ronald Bolanos (0-2) and the Kansas City bullpen.

“We've been working hard as group and just happy to be with young guys like us, learning from veterans,” Robert said through a translator. “Now is the moment I think we have the team to compete."

Gonzalez scattered five hits and three walks while striking out six in 3 2/3 innings. He left with a 5-0 lead thanks to his offense, setting up Matt Foster (1-0) and the rest of the Chicago bullpen to get through the rest of the game

Whit Merrifield hit a two-run homer for the Royals. Ryan O'Hearn drove in their other two runs.

“We’re missing a couple timely hits here and there and not making a play or two here and there that can put us at 5-4, even maybe 6-3,” said Merrifield, who made one of the Royals' four errors. "Kind of the way the ball is bouncing lately. Hopefully we can come up with some timely hits and get things rolling.”

The teams combined for 36 hits and left 27 runners on base in a game that lasted nearly 4 hours.

The 34-year-old Gonzalez was...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Gio-Gonzalez-helps-pitch-White-Sox-to-11-5-rout-15452067.php