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Chicago White Sox pound out a season-high 14 hits in a 7-4 victory against the Kansas City Royals for a 3-2 series win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chicago White Sox scored six runs over their last three games entering Thursday.They looked more like the team many had projected in the series finale against the Kansas City Royals, rallying for a 7-4 victory in front of 11,784 at Kauffman Stadium.AdvertisementLuis Robert had three hits, including a two-run homer, and four RBIs. Tim Anderson singled twice, walked twice, stole two bases and drove in two. And Adam Engel had a crucial pinch-hit RBI single as the Sox returned to .500 (19-19) while taking three of five in the series.“We work to produce a lot of runs every day, but that’s how the game is — you don’t always produce as (many) runs as you want,” Robert said through an interpreter. “You don’t always pitch as good as you want to. You don’t always play defense as good as you want to. That’s baseball.Advertisement“Today was a good day for us. We were able to produce, to get the big hits in the big moments, and that helped us to win this game.”Luis Robert (88) and Yoan Moncada (10) celebrate with Jose Abreu after they scored on Robert’s two-run home run during the eighth inning of the Chicago White Sox’s 7-4 victory against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday in Kansas City, Mo. (Charlie Riedel/AP)The Sox had a season-high 14 hits, including 13 singles. It was their most singles in a game since compiling 15 on Aug. 24, 2021, at Toronto.“I thought we were on more pitches,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “We chased a few breaking balls, but overall we did a better job (on) two strikes (of putting) the ball in play. We worked the at-bats better.“There were times we hit the ball hard and didn’t have a hit to show for it. But overall, I thought every guy that went to the plate was working.”Before the game, La Russa addressed criticism hitting coaches Frank Menechino and Howie Clark have received from pundits and fans.“If you coach or manage in the big leagues and if somebody points a finger at you and that bothers you, you’re doing the wrong thing for a living,” he said. “And if you coach, you should be able to absorb the hits instead of having a player or some players be targeted.“But I’m in the cage a lot, the players know, they’ll tell you, the messages that they’re getting, whether it’s strategy or mechanical from both of those guys is sound. They’re just not executing.”The execution emerged as the game unfolded.AdvertisementThe Sox trailed 3-0 after two innings. They scored once in the third as Anderson walked, stole second and third and scored on a Robert single. The Sox loaded the bases but didn’t score any more runs in the inning.The Sox loaded the bases again in the fourth with no outs. Anderson came through with a two-run single, putting the Sox within 4-3.“Just really trying to beat you at all angles,” Anderson said. “Being able to play both sides of the ball and giving us a chance to win and giving others a chance to get RBIs and get bags and whatever the case is. Just putting us in the best position to be successful.”The Sox tied the game on a Robert RBI single in the sixth and went ahead an inning later when Engel came off the bench and drove in AJ Pollock with a one-out single.“I’m trying to get a pitch over the plate, put a good swing on it,” Engel said. “Guys are on first and third, in a good situation there. Just had to put the ball in play, try to keep it up the middle the best that I can. In order to do that, just look for a pitch over the plate and try to not do too much.”White Sox relief closer Hendriks, right, and catcher Yasmani Grandal celebrate after a 7-4 win against the Royals on Thursday in Kansas City, Mo. (Charlie Riedel/AP)Robert connected on an 0-2 slider from Dylan Coleman for the two-run homer in the eighth to create some distance.Advertisement“I was just trying to not strike out,” Robert said. “(Wednesday) night was a difficult game for me (0-for-4 with three strikeouts). The at-bats (Thursday) weren’t easy either.“I got that at-bat. I was just trying to put the ball in play. I charged earlier in that pitch because I was expecting a fastball. He made a mistake and I took advantage of it.”The Sox will try to carry the positives into the weekend series against the Yankees in New York.“We are pretty close to being the team that we all know that we can be,” Robert said. “Every team has some struggles sometimes. But … we are pretty close to being that good team that we hope we could be.”

Sports

Colorado Rockies TV reporter is recovering after being hit in the head by a foul ball

DENVER — AT&T Sportsnet reporter Kelsey Wingert says she’s recovering after being struck in the head by a line drive during the ninth inning of the Colorado Rockies’ game against the San Francisco Giants earlier this week.“I took a 95 MPH line drive to my head,” Wingert said in a tweet, along with a photo that showed a row of stitches on her forehead.AdvertisementChecking in – Monday, I took a 95 MPH line drive to my head.The @Rockies & @ATTSportsNetRM have treated me like family. Getting me treatment & to the best hospital ASAP. I was at hospital for 5 hours w/ David Woodman (GM of AT&T SN), his wife, Paula & my producer Alison Vigil. pic.twitter.com/UzhlCzclNE— Kelsey Wingert (@KelsWingert) May 18, 2022

Wingert, who covers the Rockies, was in the camera well past the Rockies’ first-base dugout Monday night. Giants outfielder Austin Slater fouled a ball off Rockies reliever Daniel Bard and the ball hit Wingert.Wingert said she spent five hours in a hospital, where tests revealed no fractures or internal bleeding. She said she “received internal and external stitches.”AdvertisementWingert also was hit by a foul ball in 2018, when she was covering the Atlanta Braves for Fox Sports South. She suffered a broken right eye socket when she was struck by a foul ball from Odubel Herrera of the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Hot start but cold finish: Tiger Woods winces his way through opening 74 at PGA Championship

TULSA, Okla. — By the time Tiger Woods walked toward the fifth tee box Thursday, the hot start to his return to the PGA Championship had turned cold, and what was quickly becoming a steamy day at Southern Hills had also become an agonizing grind.Two early birdies that had him in the red seemed distant memories, replaced by mishits off the tee, wayward irons into the green, fliers out of bunkers and not enough made putts to save his round. Woods wound up with a 4-over 74 on the same course where he won the 2009 PGA, leaving him weary of the cut line heading into Friday’s second round.Advertisement“I got off to a great start and didn’t keep it going,” said Woods, who was often wincing down the stretch on a right leg that was nearly amputated 15 months ago. “I really didn’t give myself any looks for birdie. I was struggling trying to get the ball on the green, and I missed quite a few iron shots both ways. It was a frustrating day.”Painful one, too.AdvertisementWoods was optimistic that after making it around hilly Augusta National during the Masters, the right leg that was so severely injured in a car crash would fare well on the reasonably flat, compact layout in Tulsa. But whether he was fidgeting with a compression wrap on it during his second nine, or using his driver almost like cane as he walked down the fairways, it quickly became evident that the leg was bothering him.After knocking his tee shot into the greenside bunker on his penultimate hole, Woods grimaced as he walked gingerly back to his bag. He then leaned heavily on it while watching playing partner Rory McIlroy hit his approach shot.“My leg is not feeling as good as I would like it to be,” acknowledged Woods, who missed last year’s tournament at Kiawah Island while recovering. “I just can’t load it. Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts and walking hurts, and twisting hurts.”At one point, Woods had five bogeys during an eight-hole stretch, and he added two more on his final two holes. The result was his worst opening around at the PGA since shooting 75 in 2015, when he missed the cut.“We’ll start the recovery process,” Woods said, “and get after it tomorrow.”Tiger Woods reacts to his shot on the 13th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship on May 19, 2022. (Eric Gay/AP)Playing in the day’s featured group with McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, Woods gave a huge gallery following their very move Thursday an early reason to roar. He hit one of his few crisp approach shots at the par-4 10th and rolled in a birdie to begin his round, then hit his approach to about 13 feet at the long par-3 14th and made another birdie.But a poor iron off the tee at the par-4 15th led to bogey, and another poor iron after a perfect drive at the 18th resulted in another. And after making the turn at even, Woods bogeyed three of the first four holes on the front side, then added those two to finish — including at the ninth, where he flubbed a chip shot from above the green.“Hit a lot of bad iron shots in the middle part of the round and late in the round,” Woods said simply.AdvertisementMaking things seem worse? The fact that McIlroy was making things seem easy.McIlroy aggressively hit driver just about whenever he could, while Woods conservatively hit irons off several tees in the hopes of finding the fairway. But the result was that the Northern Irishman was often 100 yards closer to the green, leaving him mid- and even short-irons for his approaches, and helping to produce a 5-under 65 and the early lead.“Well, it wouldn’t have been so far back if I would have hit the iron shot solid and put the ball in the fairway,” Woods said. “I was playing to my spots, and those guys obviously have a different game plan. It’s just different.”Tiger Woods hits from the fairway on the 11th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship on May 19, 2022. (Eric Gay/AP)Spieth also hit driver whenever possible, though it didn’t do him as much good. He struggled to a 2-over 72, leaving him in need of a low score Friday as he pursues the missing piece of the career Grand Slam.Woods will also need a big second round at Southern Hills, but he can take comfort in having done it before. He shot 63 on Friday to seize control of the 2007 PGA, then cruised through the weekend to his fourth Wannamaker Trophy.Then again, that was a long time and many injuries ago.Advertisement“Lots of treatment, lots of ice baths,” Woods said. “Try and get the inflammation out and try and get ready for tomorrow.”