Royals hammer E.Jax,Sox who again trail Twins by six games

The White Sox ran into Kyle Davies at the wrong time.Davies pitched six solid innings, Gregor Blanco and Kila Ka’aihue each had three hits and the Kansas City Royals won 8-2 on Saturday night.Blanco and Ka’aihue each scored two runs as Kansas City roughed up Edwin Jackson (3-1) on its way to 18 hits. The Royals snapped a four-game losing streak.Davies (8-9) allowed one run and five hits, winning consecutive starts for the first time this season. The right-hander also improved to 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his last four starts against the Sox, dating to Sept. 20, 2008.Davies struck out five and walked two, throwing 64 of his 102 pitches for strikes and impressing manager Ned Yost.Paul Konerko hit his 34th homer for the White Sox, who have lost four of five. They again trail AL Central-leading Minnesota by six games.Minnesota edged Cleveland 1-0 in 11 innings on a Jim Thome homer.A.J. Pierzynski doesn’t think the pressure of keeping up with the Twins is taking a toll on the team.Jackson had been outstanding since he was acquired in a trade with Arizona on July 30, going 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in his first six starts with the Sox.This one was much different.Kansas City scored in each of the first three innings and five of the first six to build a 6-1 lead.Blanco walked and scored on Wilson Betemit’s single in the first. Yuniesky Betancourt hit a sacrifice fly and Blanco had an RBI double in the second. Pena doubled in a run in the third to make it 4-0.Betemit and Mitch Maier also had three hits apiece for Kansas City, which improved to 8-9 against the White Sox this season. Pena finished with two RBIJackson, who allowed six runs and a season-high 13 hits in five-plus innings, was hurt by his defense in the second. With Alex Gordon on third and the infield playing in with one out, second baseman Gordon Beckman fielded Chris Getz’s bouncer and tried unsuccessfully to get Gordon at third.Gordon scored on Betancourt’s fly ball and Getz eventually came home when Blanco legged out a double, sliding past shortstop Alexei Ramirez’s tag.Ramirez reacted to second base umpire Joe West’s call and manager Ozzie Guillen, who was kicked out of Friday’s game for arguing a balk, took a step out of the dugout, waved his hand and returned to the dugout. Guillen has been ejected by West’s crew twice this season.Konerko doubled and scored on Ramirez’s two-out single in the fourth, cutting Kansas City’s lead to 4-1, but Gordon singled in a run in the fifth and Maier chased Jackson with an RBI single in the sixth.Konerko’s homer came in the eighth against Gil Meche.

NOTES—Freddy Garcia was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday with a sore lower back. Guillen said RHP Lucas Harrell will get the start instead. … Yost said RHP Brian Bannister will pitch out of the bullpen for the rest of the season. He has made 23 starts this season. … Royals DH Billy Butler established a franchise record with a hit in 97 consecutive series.