Yordano Ventura pitched seven sharp innings for Kansas City in his first start since he brawled in Baltimore, and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Sunday for their second straight win following an eight-game losing streak.
Ventura (5-4) struck out a season-high 10 and walked one in his first win since May 17th against Boston, making the most of Kansas City’s run-scoring singles in the first and second. Salvador Perez added a leadoff homer down the left-field line in the ninth.
The 25-year-old Ventura had been 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA in his previous four starts. The right-hander was suspended for nine games by Major League Baseball after he hit Machado in the back with a 99 mph fastball in the fifth inning of a 9-1 loss Tuesday, leading to a benches-clearing fight. But he appealed the punishment and is allowed to pitch until the process is complete.
