KANSAS CITY—Sergio Santos threw a wild pitch in the 11th inning that allowed Alex Gordon to score, giving the Kansas City Royals a 2-1 victory over the White Sox on Wednesday night.Billy Butler swung at a pitch in the dirt that got away from catcher A.J. Pierzynski and Gordon came home and scored with a headfirst slide to give the Royals their 10th win in the final at-bat.Chris Sale (2-1) retired the first two batters before walking Gordon, who went to third on Mitch Maier’s single. Santos then replaced Sale.Aaron Crow (3-2) worked two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, for the victory. The Royals threatened in the 10th with runners on second and third and two outs, but rookie Mike Moustakas, who is in an 0-for-22 slump, popped up to second baseman Gordon Beckham to end the inning. White Sox starter John Danks yielded five singles in seven scoreless innings and left with a 1-0 lead that the bullpen failed to hold. Danks walked one, struck out six and did not allow a Royals player to reach third base. Danks was making his first start since June 25 when he left in the second inning against Washington with a strained right oblique and went on the disabled list. After starting the season 0-8 with a 5.25 earned run average, Danks is 3-0 with a 0.88 ERA in his past five starts.Royals left-hander Bruce Chen held the White Sox hitless for the first four innings before Carlos Quentin led off the fifth with his 19th home run. Quentin hit a 1-0 pitch just a few feet inside the foul pole. Quentin was hit by a pitch from Chen in the second inning. He has been hit by 20 pitches, tops in the American League.That would be the only run Chen would allow in eight innings. He yielded three singles besides Quentin’s home run, walked two, struck out four and hit three batters. The Royals tied the score in the eighth off relievers Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain. Gordon led off the inning with a single, advanced to third on Butler’s single to center and scored on Jeff Francoeur’s double to center with one out. After Eric Hosmer was walked intentionally to load the bases, Crain struck out Brayan Pena. Sale was brought in to face Moustakas, who grounded out to Paul Konerko to end the inning. Juan Pierre’s bunt single in the White Sox sixth extended his hitting streak to 12 games, matching his season high.
NOTES—Adam Dunn did not play Wednesday because of a sore knee. “A couple of days off hopefully will help him,” Ozzie Guillen said. White Sox RHP Tony Pena, who went on the disabled list May 29 with elbow tendinitis, is going to Chicago to see a doctor. “He’s got some kind of problem in his arm,” Guillen said. “That’s what I hear. The doctor will reevaluate him to see what is wrong.” The Royals traded INF Wilson Betemit to Detroit for two young minor leaguers – LHP Antonio Cruz, 19, and C Julio Rodriguez, who turns 22 Aug. 3. The Royals recalled INF Mike Aviles, who hit .309 with nine home runs and 25 RBI in 35 games with Triple-A Omaha, to take Betemit’s spot on the roster. Royals CF Melky Cabrera left after seven innings with a stomach virus. He was replaced by Maier. The White Sox optioned rookie LHP Hector Santiago to Double-A Birmingham to make roster space for Danks.