KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lenyn Sosa began the fifth inning for the Chicago White Sox with a line-drive double to left field.
The Sox would get just one more hit in a 2-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals in front of 12,907 at Kauffman Stadium.
Kris Bubic was in complete control for the Royals, allowing two hits in seven scoreless innings. He struck out 11 and walked one.
“We were just in between, I thought,” Sox manager Will Venable said of the at-bats against Bubic. “The game plan was to take the four-seam fastball away from him. We weren’t able to do that.
“Second time through, he was able to get to some spin. We chased below. Just kind of in between on that.”
Davis Martin pitched well in the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks in seven innings.
“This is probably the best knowledge of my stuff,” Martin said. “Obviously there’s still so much more that I feel like I can accomplish and so much more refining that I think I can do, but from this year to last year, I feel like I know what pitches are working, I know how to use them, and then second and third time through the lineup, I probably want to adjust and go from there.
“So I’ve really got a good feel with my stuff right now. I’m just trying to continue to do that.”
Martin pounded the strike zone Friday. He also credited his defense.
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“You can’t talk about seven innings and (three strikeouts) without talking about defense,” Martin said. “(Right fielder) Derek (Hill) made a great play (for a diving catch in the sixth). (Left fielder) Tanner (Murray) made a great play (throwing out Isaac Collins at second base in the third). Luisangel (Acuña) in center was great.
“Your defense picks you up, and (first baseman Munetaka Murakami) with a great double play in the second inning. And when days like that happen, and you start to go right at people and it just kind of gives you more confidence to just go after them.”
It was Martin’s second consecutive quality start. He held the Royals to 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Opponents are 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position against Martin this season.
“We know that he’s one of our guys,” Venable said. “He works so hard and puts himself in such a good position to continue to progress and do well. Every outing, it’s better and better.”
The Royals took the lead with a run in the fourth. Maikel Garcia began the inning with a single. He scored from first on a double by Bobby Witt. Jr., who has a 23-game hitting streak against the Sox.
Carter Jensen hit a home run with one out in the seventh for the game’s only other run.