CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Davidson has made the most of his 38 at-bats so far.

He leads the White Sox in home runs with four, and his 14 RBI ties him for tops on the team. About the only thing he hasn’t done is crack the everyday lineup, which is why Chicago manager Rick Renteria was asked — again — after a 12-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night what the 26-year-old has to do to earn more playing time.

“He doesn’t have to do anything more than what he’s doing right now,” Renteria said. “Fortunately for us, every time he gets in there, he seems to do something pretty impactful for us as a team.”

Davidson had two hits and three RBI in an eight-run sixth, Chicago’s highest-scoring inning in five years. The White Sox DH set a career high with three hits and tied his single-game best with four RBI.

Miguel Gonzalez (3-0) lowered his ERA to 2.00, allowing an unearned run and two hits in eight innings.

Melky Cabrera, Todd Frazier and Tyler Saladino drove in two runs each for the White Sox, who outhit the Royals 15-2. Chicago put together its high-scoring inning since a nine-run fifth against Texas on July 3, 2012.

The Royals have lost five straight and scored a major league-low 47 runs.

“We got two hits,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “Not much going on right now. Of course, (the players) are frustrated. Until we get through it … You’re trying to keep them from not getting frustrated to the point where it takes longer to get out of something like this. But, yeah, they’re frustrated with it.”

Jason Vargas (3-1) gave up four runs — three earned — and seven hits in five innings. His ERA rose from a big league-best 0.44 to 1.40.

Davidson, who didn’t start the previous four games, put Chicago ahead in the second with his fourth homer of the season, a solo drive.

Frazier booted Whit Merrifield’s two-out grounder to third for an error in the third and scored on Mike Moustakas’ double just in front of a diving Avisail Garcia in right.

Tim Anderson reached second on a throwing error by Moustakas at third base in the bottom half, stole third and scored the go-ahead run on Jose Abreu’s single. Cabrera’s two-run single boosted the lead to 4-1 in the fifth, and Davidson sparked the big sixth with an RBI double against Peter Moylan, then capped the scoring with a two-run single off Travis Wood.

Davidson, who’s batting .368, would love more playing time but is happy in his part-time role for now in his first extended major league experience.

“It’s a whole lot better being here than in (Triple-A) Charlotte, so I’m enjoying every single day,” he said. “Obviously, I want to play, but being in Chicago and being around these guys is a dream come true.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez (neck stiffness) was 0 for 3 after missing the previous two games.

White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon, rehabbing from bursitis in his left biceps, arrived in Chicago to be evaluated. “His visit was just to make sure that everything was moving in the right direction,” manager Rick Renteria said. “It is.”

STAYING LOOSE

The Chicago offense provided Gonzalez with his biggest challenge on Monday. The right-hander struggled to stay loose during the lengthy bottom of the sixth and went inside to throw a few pitches as his teammates sent 12 batters to the plate.

“We all know it’s not easy,” he said. “I understand we scored eight runs and that’s huge for our team.”

PITCH PERFECT?

With the Royals struggling to score, Vargas was asked if he felt pressure to be perfect.

“That’s not how I ever take the mound,” he said. “I can’t control anything other than what I’m able to do, so to factor that in would just be hazardous in my preparation.”

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (2-0, 1.32 ERA) is to start the middle game of the three-game series. He is 6-2 in 14 starts and two relief appearances against Chicago.

White Sox: RHP Dylan Covey (0-1, 7.84 ERA) makes his third start and is still looking for his first major league win.

— Associated Press —

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Yu Darvish didn’t get pulled early this time, and didn’t have to try to explain a puzzling loss for Texas.

The Japanese right-hander pitched eight innings in his longest outing since elbow surgery two years ago and the Rangers scored the tying and go-ahead runs without a hit, completing a four-game sweep with a 5-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

The 30-year-old Darvish retired 15 of 16 batters after giving up three consecutive hits in the third. Two of those were back-to-back solo home runs from Mike Moustakas and Jorge Bonifacio, whose first big league homer came two innings after he singled for his first career hit.

Darvish was coming off a 4-2 loss to Oakland when he imploded in the sixth and was yanked without a chance to work out of trouble with the score tied. He responded with his highest pitch count (113) since Tommy John reconstructive surgery during spring training in 2015.

“He told me since I took him out at 82 that I owed him a lot of pitches,” pitching coach Doug Brocail said. “I said, `OK, I’ll add 20-25,’ and you could see him doing the math. That’s only 102. He was bound and determined to throw eight and 100-plus and he got us there.”

Darvish (2-2) struck out eight with one walk as the Rangers finished their second four-game sweep of Kansas City in as many seasons. Texas has won 10 straight against the Royals, who have lost five of six since a four-game winning streak.

Jason Hammel (0-2) came out after starting the fourth inning with a walk, two hit batters and another walk to force in the tying run.

The second hit batter, Robinson Chirinos, got plunked on the right wrist on a check swing, and the ricochet hit home plate umpire Eric Cooper on the right leg. Both hobbled away from the plate, with Cooper ruling a foul ball. It was quickly overturned by replay.

Jurickson Profar walked for a 2-2 tie, forcing Hammel out of the game. Carlos Gomez then gave Texas the lead with an RBI grounder.

“I’ve just got to trust the stuff, let it work,” Hammel said. “For whatever reason, I shifted into trying to make the perfect pitch and overthrowing and really got myself and us in trouble.”

Matt Bush pitched a perfect ninth for his first save this season and the second of the 31-year-old reliever’s career.

Joey Gallo, the first hit batter in the fourth, connected in the sixth for his team-leading sixth homer, an opposite-field drive to left. Robinson Chirinos homered in the eighth, his fourth long ball in 18 at-bats.

DROUGHT CONTINUES

Kansas City has a majors-low 46 runs after scoring just five in 40 innings in the series, which included a 1-0 loss in 13 innings in the opener. Manager Ned Yost juggled the lineup, moving Alex Gordon out of the leadoff spot for the first time this season with his .176 average and putting Bonifacio third even though he started the game without a big league hit. Yost gave Lorenzo Cain (team-leading .333 average) the day off.

POWER OF ELVIS

Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus, with a surprising three homers already to put him at 38 for his nine seasons, hit cleanup for the first time in his career. He’s now hit in all nine spots in the order. He had an RBI single for the first Texas run in the third. He struck out twice with runners at first and second. “I didn’t do that bad. Got an RBI at least,” Andrus said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez missed his second straight game with neck stiffness. Manager Ned Yost said he was still day-to-day.

Rangers: RHP Sam Dyson, on the 10-day DL with a right hand contusion after losing his job as closer, will pitch an inning each Monday and Tuesday on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Round Rock. He can return to the Rangers on Friday.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Jason Vargas (3-0, 0.44 ERA) makes his 200th career start in the opener of a three-game series at the White Sox. He’s 3-0 for the first time since his rookie season in 2005 and has just two walks with 23 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings.

Rangers: LHP Martin Perez (1-2, 3.60 ERA) pitches the opener of a three-game home series against Minnesota. He’s 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in two home starts, including 5 1/3 scoreless innings in an 8-1 win over Oakland.

— Associated Press —

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Elvis Andrus hit an RBI single with one out in the ninth inning and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Saturday night.

It was the second time in three games that the Rangers won in their final at-bat against Kansas City.

Rougned Odor led off the ninth with a sharp single off Travis Wood (0-2), who didn’t face another batter before Peter Moylan took over. After Odor stole second base, Andrus hit a sharp single to left field.

Matt Bush (1-0) threw a scoreless ninth with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli homered for the Rangers, who have won three straight games for the first time this season. They go for a four-game sweep on Sunday.

Wood was also the loser in the series opener Thursday night when the Rangers won 1-0 in 13 innings. Up until then, Wood had made 105 consecutive appearances without a loss and was tied with Moylan for the longest active streak in the majors. Moylan is now at 107 consecutive appearances without being charged with a loss.

Both starting pitchers, Ian Kennedy for Kansas City and Nick Martinez for the Rangers, allowed one run on four hits over seven innings.

Martinez was called up from Triple-A Round Rock for a spot start after A.J. Griffin was put on the 10-day disabled list because of gout in his left ankle. Martinez matched his longest appearance in 51 major league starts, and took a no-hitter into the sixth.

Kansas City’s first hit was on No. 9 hitter Drew Butera’s single through the left side of the infield with one out in the sixth. The ball ricocheted off the glove of diving third baseman Joey Gallo and then a diving Andrus at shortstop. That was the first of three singles in a four-batter stretch, including Mike Moustakas driving home Butera .

Napoli led off the second with his third homer of the season, an opposite-field shot that barely cleared the wall in the right-field corner.

Andrus had a defensive gem in the fifth inning. He went way to his right to backhand a grounder, then made the throw with his body falling away from first base to get Whit Merrifield by a step.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez was scratched from the starting lineup because of neck stiffness. … OF Jorge Soler (strained left oblique) hit a three-run homer in the first game of his injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Friday. Manager Ned Yost said there is no timetable for Soler’s return.

Rangers: RHP Sam Dyson (bruised right hand) threw live batting practice and is expected to make a couple of rehab appearances in the minors next week. “His slider was sharper, his sinker was late,” pitching coach Doug Brocail said. Dyson lost his closer role with three blown saves and a 27.00 ERA this season. “I’ve really allowed the last few weeks to overwhelm me in the sense of sitting trying to overanalyze everything,” he said.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (0-1), who pitched in the NL for the Chicago Cubs the last 2 1/2 seasons, is winless in his last 16 road starts against AL teams. His last road win against the AL was May 5, 2013, when pitching for the Orioles at the Angels. He got a no-decision April 6 at Minnesota in his only road start since joining Kansas City as a free agent last winter.

Rangers: RHP Yu Darvish (1-2) is 1/3 with a 5.93 ERA in his last five home starts.

— Associated Press —