KANSAS CITY --- Jake Peavy kept the White Sox close enough on Saturday night.
But the right-hander wore out his welcome and the Kansas City Royals took advantage in a 6-3 win over the White Sox at Kauffman Stadium.
Peavy allowed six runs on 12 hits --- including a career-high two home runs by Kansas City shortstop Alcides Escobar ---in seven-plus innings as the White Sox lost for only the third time in nine games this month. The White Sox also missed a chance to gain ground on the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers, both of whom lost.
Peavy (7-6) made his first start July 6 and wasnt at his best.
The right-hander might have been guilty of catching too much of the strike zone.
He threw strikes on 87 of 120 pitches and walked only one batter in innings. But Peavy also was in a constant struggle to pitch out of trouble.
Peavy, who saw his ERA climb from 2.85 to 3.12, couldnt avoid trouble in the eighth inning.
MLB
He began the frame with 111 pitches and trailed 4-3. But Billy Butler, Mike Moustakas and Jeff Francouer quickly put an end to Peavys night with consecutive singles to take a 5-3 lead. The Royals added one more run to Peavys ledger when Lorenzo Cain hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly off Hector Santiago.
Peavy couldnt hold a 1-0 lead in the third inning as the Royals got three straight hits. Alex Gordon singled in Jarrod Dyson, who singled and stole second, and Escobar followed with a two-run homer to give Kansas City a 3-1 lead.
An inning after the White Sox tied the score the Royals regained the lead in the seventh on Escobars solo shot to left.
Peavy also stranded runners in scoring position in the second, fourth and sixth innings.
Escobars performance comes after he had three RBIs in Fridays marathon, including a two-run triple in the eighth inning off Nate Jones to give Kansas City the lead.
The White Sox grabbed a 1-0 lead against Luke Hochevar on Alejandro De Azas one-out RBI double in the third inning.
Adam Dunn later had a solo homer ---- a 451-foot shot to center ---- and Dayan Viciedo tripled in a run with two outs as the White Sox tied the score at 3 in the sixth inning.
Kevin Youkilis saw his consecutive games with an RBI streak snapped at eight.