The Royals were stifled by White Sox starter Jerry Nyman, who scattered eight hits over nine innings in Chicago’s 6-1 win at White Sox Park.

Nyman only struck out four but didn’t walk any hitters. He evened his record at 4-4 and lowered his ERA to 5.29. He was also helped by a double play and another runner being thrown out on the bases. Kansas City left a runner at third in the second inning, wasted a leadoff double in the third and failed to take advantage of two singles in the sixth.

The White Sox already had a 4-0 lead by the time the Royals finally broke through in the eighth inning. With two outs, Scott Northey doubled and Luis Alcaraz brought him home with a single. Nyman, who had retired 10 straight at one point, got the last four outs in order to end the game.

Royals starter Jim Rooker mostly kept the Royals in the game, although he battled his control through seven innings. Rooker struck out seven but allowed seven hits and issued a whopping eight walks.

One of those walks, to Bobby Knoop, forced in Chicago’s first run, in the third inning. Ken Berry followed with a two-run single for a 3-0 lead. But the White Sox would not score again until the seventh, when Berry hit a grounder back to Rooker, who made a bad throw to first. Berry was safe and Don Pavletich, who had walked, came in to score.

The White Sox then tacked on two runs against reliever Don O’Riley in the eighth. Luis Aparicio drove in one with a single before Pavletich hit a sacrifice fly to cap the scoring.

The Royals fell to 65-93 with the loss, and two games behind the White Sox as they tried to achieve a fourth-place finish. Kansas City was in fifth place in the AL West, 29.5 games behind Minnesota.

Box score and play-by-play: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA196909270.shtml

Today’s birthdays: Dave Wickersham (1935), Pedro Ciriaco (1985), Vin Mazzaro (1986)