Andrew Vaughn broke a tie with home run in the seventh inning Wednesday afternoon.
Everyone took a deep breath of 39-degree air and exhaled.
The White Sox’ losing streak was over at eight.
Vaughn’s homer, on the first pitch from Royals reliever Scott Barlow, followed two-out singles by Danny Mendick and Tim Anderson and powered the Sox to a 7-3 victory at cold and gray Guaranteed Rate Field, the Sox’ first win in 11 days.
It came after the Royals, handcuffed on no hits through five innings against Dylan Cease, chipped away at a 3-0 deficit with two runs in the sixth without the benefit of a hard-hit ball, and a run in the seventh against Jose Ruiz and Bennett Sousa.
Cease had his best start of the season, striking out nine and allowing two run on three hits and three walks in six innings.
The losing streak was the Sox’ longest since 2018. They lead the majors with 20 errors but played a clean game Wednesday. The Sox hadn’t scored more than four runs since April 13 and were hitting .179/.233/.274 with 22 runs scored in their previous 11 games.
Vaughn also doubled in a run, and third baseman Jake Burger homered, doubled and singled.
Kendall Graveman pitched two scoreless innings of relief to finish it off. The Sox are 7-10.
Luis Robert still out
Center fielder Luis Robert (groin) still had discomfort when moving laterally Tuesday so his return was delayed another day.
“He’s stepping up the workout every day,” La Russa said. “When he can do everything without any discomfort, that’s when he’s greenlighted, as far as I’m concerned.”
Moncada, Kelly headed to Charlotte
Third baseman Yoan Moncada and right-handed reliever Joe Kelly will begin rehab assignments with Triple-A Charlotte Friday.
A switch-hitter, Moncada still feels something slight in his oblique when he swings from the left side but it’s apparently not minor enough for him to test it. Kelly will need at least three appearances before he joins the Sox, La Russa said.
“In YoYo’scase, he’s been swinging really well here, so he may come out there and just [have] 15 at-bats and look like he’s ready,” La Russa said. “But it may take him 25, no way to predict it. It’s always a mistake to bring a guy up to the big leagues before he’s ready. Because he’s going to struggle, and then he’s got to get out of the struggle. It’s better to come in here ready to play.”
