KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Kris Bubic recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts while leading the Kansas City Royals to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Bubic pitched seven innings, requiring only 88 pitches, and allowed two hits and one walk, surpassing his previous strikeout record of nine, achieved five times.
Game Highlights
Carter Jensen contributed to the Royals’ offense with his fourth home run, hitting a 422-foot blast over the bullpen in the seventh inning. This marked Jensen as the only player on the team with more than two home runs this season.
Despite Bubic’s strong performance, the Royals struggled offensively in the early innings. Salvador Perez led off the second with a single but was doubled off first base on a line drive by Michael Massey. In the third inning, Isaac Collins hit a one-out single but was thrown out while attempting to stretch it into a double.
The Royals finally broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning when Maikel Garcia led off with a single, followed by an RBI double from Bobby Witt Jr., ending a 17-inning scoreless streak for the team.
Pitching Performance
Davis Martin (2-1) took the loss for the White Sox after allowing two runs on seven hits over seven innings, while striking out three and not issuing any walks. Duncan Davitt made his Major League Baseball debut in relief during the eighth inning.
While Bubic dominated the mound, he faced minimal challenges. Lenyn Sosa led off the fifth inning with a double, marking the first hit allowed by Bubic, but Sosa did not advance past second base as Bubic secured his eighth strikeout to end the inning.
Upcoming Matchup
The White Sox will counter with right-hander Eric Fedde (0-2, 4.09 ERA) in their next game against Royals right-hander Michael Wacha (1-0, 0.69) on Saturday afternoon.