Sparkman Tosses Complete Game Shutout

Glenn Sparkman pitched a five-hitter for his first career complete game, Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier both had three hits including a home run, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White sox 11-0 Tuesday night.

Sparkman (3-5) walked one and had a career-high eight strikeouts in the Royals’ first complete-game shutout since June 2, 2017, when Jason Vargas beat Cleveland 4-0.

Kansas City improved to 4-1 since the All-Star break and dropped the White Sox to 0-5.

Merrifield, hitting .379 (22 for 58) in a 14-game hitting streak, raced to an inside-the-park homer down the right-field line in the fourth inning after Cam Gallagher doubled. Plate umpire Tom Hallion initially called Merrifield out on the play at home, but it was overturned after a quick replay review. That made the score 6-0 and gave Merrifield the 100th inside-the-park homer in Royals history.

Dozier hit a two-run, 447-foot homer to left field in the eighth inning to cap a four-run inning and finish the scoring.

Chicago starter Dylan Cease (1-1) gave up six runs – four earned – and eight hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

The White Sox had a rocky first inning as the Royals scored twice. Merrifield led off with long fly that was caught by center fielder Charlie Tilson as he collided with left fielder Eloy Jimenez who went down in pain next to the wall. Jimenez was taken out with a sore right elbow.

Adalberto Mondesi followed with a single, and took second on Cease’s errant pickoff attempt. Mondesi then stole third and continued home when Yoan Moncada missed catcher James McCann’s throw. Alex Gordon followed with a single and scored on Hunter Dozier’s triple to right for a 2-0 lead.

A third White Sox error contributed to the Royals’ two-run third inning. After Mondesi singled, shortstop Leury Garcia fielded Gordon’s grounder, but threw wildly past second base, allowing Mondesi to score and Gordon to advance to third. Gordon was thrown out at the plate by second baseman Yolmer Sanchez but Bubba Starling’s single drove in Jorge Soler to push the lead to 4-0