Royals Shut Out White Sox 2-0 on Bubic's 11 Ks

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Kris Bubic struck out a career-high 11 batters over seven shutout innings, and Carter Jensen hit a solo home run as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium.

The 28-year-old left-hander needed just 88 pitches, 59 of them strikes, to allow only two hits and one walk while lowering his ERA to 2.50 in three starts this season. Bubic, an All-Star in 2025 before a July rotator cuff injury ended his year, did not permit a hit until Lenyn Sosa's leadoff double in the fifth inning. Derek Hill followed with a single to open the sixth, but Bubic escaped further trouble by striking out the side in the fifth and retiring the next two batters in the sixth. His previous strikeout high was nine, achieved five times in his career.

The Royals, who snapped a three-game losing streak, provided minimal offense behind Bubic but capitalized on key moments. They broke a 17-inning scoreless drought in the fourth when Maikel Garcia led off with a single and scored on Bobby Witt Jr.'s RBI double off the left-field wall. Witt, who has hit safely in 23 straight games against Chicago, extended his streak of extra-base hits to three games....