CHICAGO (AP) — Jeremy Guthrie picked up his first victory since late May, scattering five hits over eight innings in the Kansas City Royals’ 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.
Guthrie (1-3) got his first win with the Royals and improved to 4-12 overall since arriving in a late July trade with Colorado. He struck out five and walked none.
His last victory was an 11-5 decision over Houston on May 31. He struggled through nine losses in his next 13 appearances.
Solo home runs by Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez provided all the runs for Kansas City.
Greg Holland gave up a run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth but picked up his third save.
Jose Quintana (4-2) worked seven innings and gave up five hits. He walked two and struck out five.
Kansas City took two of three in the series. Chicago had won its last four series and five straight at home.
Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the second on Moustakas’ 17th home run of the season. With two outs, the third baseman lined Quintana’s first pitch deep in to the seats in right.
Perez made it 2-0 with a two-out homer to right on a 2-0 pitch from Quintana. The home run was his sixth of the season.
Chicago had a runner in scoring position in the third when Alejandro De Aza singled with two outs and reached second on an errant pickoff throw from Perez to first baseman Eric Hosmer. But Gordon Beckham ended the inning with a fly to right.
The Royals tried to pad the lead in the sixth with runners on first and second with two outs, but Perez’ flied out to center to end the threat.
Guthrie had retired nine straight into the sixth inning when Beckham lined a two-out double down the left field line.
Guthrie closed the inning by striking out Adam Dunn looking.
The left-handed Quintana had four straight no-decisions entering Wednesday. He last won on July 5, a 2-1 victory over Texas where he surrendered one earned run while striking out eight and walking just one.
White Sox reliever Jesse Crain worked the eighth while Brett Myers pitched a scoreless ninth. In the ninth, Holland gave up a one-out single to Dunn, who scored on A.J. Pierzynski’s two-out grounder up the middle.
Royals manager Ned Yost said he was hoping for continued improvement from Guthrie, winless in his first three starts with a 7.71 ERA since arriving in the trade with the Rockies.
“We knew that when we made the trade that it would take him probably four or five starts to get straightened out,” Yost said. “His first start was OK. He was a little better his second start. He was better his third start.”
Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko and outfielder Alex Rios were scratches on Wednesday with minor ailments. They will get two days off.
“It’s just nagging stuff that’s been happening, we’ve got an off day (Thursday) so it would be two days (off),” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “Paul’s been going a long time without any time off.”
Ventura said he toyed with a lineup without Konerko, Rios, De Aza and third baseman Kevin Youkilis.
“We actually had a lineup without those guys in it,” he said. “It was creative, it was a fun morning.”
De Aza missed three games with back stiffness while Youkilis was out of Tuesday’s game with a sore right knee. Both were in Wednesday’s starting lineup.