During the quest for their first division title in four years, the Chicago White Sox could use some more wins against the last-place Kansas City Royals .
Having Jake Peavy on the mound has helped the White Sox in recent outings, but the veteran right-hander hasn't fared well in his past couple matchups with the Royals.
Peavy will try to end those struggles Tuesday night while seeking his third victory in as many starts.
The White Sox (60-48) had split six games with the Royals in 2012 before a 4-2 victory in Monday's series opener. Gordon Beckham hit the tiebreaking solo homer during a two-run eighth and Kevin Youkilis added a run-scoring double, giving him five RBIs over his last three games.
A.J. Pierzynski doubled home a run in the second inning before seeing his franchise record-tying five-game home run streak come to an end.
"We know what's on the line and where we want to go," said Beckham, who hadn't homered since June 20. "If we're going to get there, everybody's got to step up and pitch in."
The victory kept Chicago 1 1/2 games ahead of surging Detroit in the AL Central, and the White Sox's performances against the Royals (45-63) could determine whether they capture their first division title since 2008.
Chicago will play 11 more games against Kansas City, and Peavy (9-7, 3.04 ERA) will try to take advantage of one of those matchups while beating a team other than Minnesota.
The right-hander has earned his past two wins against the Twins, allowing two runs in each game. He went eight innings and struck out eight in a 3-2 victory at Target Field on Wednesday.
"I feel excited to be able to help to this point, but we want to win," Peavy told the team's website. "It will be a satisfying season in this clubhouse for everybody, no matter what the numbers are at the end, if we find a way to win this (AL) Central and get in the playoffs."
Peavy hasn't been nearly as effective in his past five games against the Royals, going 0-4 with a 5.97 ERA. He gave up six runs and a career-high 12 hits over seven innings of a 6-3 loss in Kansas City on July 14.
In this start, the right-hander will pitch opposite a struggling Bruce Chen (7-9, 5.66), who is 0-3 with an 8.73 ERA over his last seven starts.
The left-hander was pulled before the end of the third inning of his latest outing Thursday against Cleveland and was charged with four runs in a 7-6 victory.
"He might have thrown three pitches over 85 miles an hour," manager Ned Yost told the team's website. "Everything's soft and he's just not throwing the ball real well right now.
"He needs to pick his game up. To not be able to get out of the third inning, we need to do better than that."
Chen gave up six runs over 4 2-3 innings to the White Sox at Kauffman Stadium on July 13 but did not get a decision in a 9-8 defeat.
He might have better luck at U.S. Cellular Field, where he went 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA in three visits last season.
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AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPS
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Yuniesky Betancourt | 15 | .200 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .188 | .388 | .200 |
| Billy Butler | 18 | .389 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | .476 | 1.365 | .889 |
| Alcides Escobar | 9 | .222 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .222 | .666 | .444 |
| Jeff Francoeur | 21 | .381 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | .381 | .810 | .429 |
| Chris Getz | 9 | .111 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .200 | .311 | .111 |
| Alex Gordon | 12 | .250 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | .250 | .500 | .250 |
| Eric Hosmer | 7 | .143 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .333 | .476 | .143 |
| Mitch Maier | 11 | .091 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .091 | .182 | .091 |
| Mike Moustakas | 8 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jonathan Sanchez | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Gordon Beckham | 13 | .077 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .071 | .148 | .077 |
| Adam Dunn | 8 | .375 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .500 | 1.000 | .500 |
| Tyler Flowers | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Kosuke Fukudome | 9 | .222 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .222 | .444 | .222 |
| Paul Konerko | 27 | .222 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | .323 | .804 | .481 |
| Brent Lillibridge | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Brent Morel | 12 | .333 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .429 | 1.096 | .667 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 24 | .458 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | .519 | 1.227 | .708 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 14 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .125 | .125 | .000 |
| Alex Rios | 30 | .133 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | .182 | .315 | .133 |
| Dayan Viciedo | 4 | .750 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .750 | 1.500 | .750 |
 Kansas City Royals |
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| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| July 28, 2012 | Mike Moustakas | Day-to-Day | Left game - sprained right knee |
| July 05, 2012 | Luke Hochevar | Day-to-Day | Sprained right ankle |
| June 18, 2012 | Chris Getz | 15-Day DL | Lateral strain in lower left leg |
| June 18, 2012 | Chris Getz | 15-Day DL | Lateral strain in lower left leg |
| June 07, 2012 | Felipe Paulino | 60-Day DL | Strained right groin |
| May 26, 2012 | Jarrod Dyson | Day-to-Day | Left game - Right hamstring injury |
 Chicago White Sox |
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| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 06, 2012 | Alejandro De Aza | Day-to-Day | Back stiffness |
| August 05, 2012 | Francisco Liriano | Day-to-Day | Bruised left quadriceps |
| July 25, 2012 | Kevin Youkilis | Day-to-Day | Left game - sprained left ankle |
| July 24, 2012 | A.J. Pierzynski | Day-to-Day | Strained right oblique |
| July 08, 2012 | Gavin Floyd | 15-Day DL | Right elbow tendinitis |
| July 08, 2012 | Gavin Floyd | 15-Day DL | Right elbow tendinitis |
CHICAGO (AP) -- The Kansas City Royals wanted Bruce Chen to show more aggression. He finally did.
Chen outpitched Jake Peavy for his first win in six weeks, Billy Butler hit his career-high 22nd homer and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2 on Tuesday night.
The White Sox had won 10 of 13, but saw their lead over Detroit in the AL Central shrink to a half game when the Tigers beat the New York Yankees 6-5 earlier in the night.
Gordon Beckham hit his first career leadoff homer for Chicago, and the White Sox scored again in the sixth after Kansas City tied it in the top half. But RBI singles by Tony Abreu and Alex Gordon off Peavy (9-8) in the seventh gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead.
Butler added to it in the eighth with a two-run drive off Nate Jones after Mike Moustakas walked, and the Royals hung on from there, giving Chen (8-9) his first win since June 26.
The left-hander gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings and finally came out on top after going 0-3 in his previous seven starts. It was a big improvement over his previous outing, when he got knocked out in the third against Cleveland after being staked to a six-run lead.
He and manager Ned Yost had a long talk about being aggressive following that game, which the Royals eventually won. The message? Go after the hitters, establish the fastball.
"His last three or four starts, he comes out and he hasn't established his fastball," Yost said. "All he's doing is throwing 82, 83, trying to get his control down, but he's got nothing to speed the bats up so they sit soft."
It was different against the White Sox.
Even when Beckham connected an 87 mph pitch in the first, Yost didn't blink because the home run came on a fastball. Chen was following the plan.
"Obviously, I'm trying to establish my fastball," he said. "I'm trying to keep the ball down, but also pitching in and cutting the ball in on the righties was a big plus for me."
The way Peavy was pitching, the Royals needed that. And the bullpen did its job with Kelvin Herrera pitching 1 1-3 innings and Greg Holland retiring the side in the ninth for his second save in four chances.
Peavy also gave up seven hits in 6 2-3 innings, but was a tough-luck loser after beating Minnesota in his previous two starts. He found his control after walking the game's first two batters, issuing just one the rest of the way, but he couldn't protect the lead after the White Sox went up 2-1.
"I don't like to lose," he said. "I just hate to lose. I wish I could have done more to help us win, I really do. It stinks when you feel like you have a chance to win and you don't. You get so close and you could have done things differently to win."
The Royals had runners on first and third with one out in the seventh after Jeff Francoeur reached on a bunt down the third-base line and Eric Hosmer singled. Abreu then tied it with a single to left, and although Hosmer got thrown out at third by Dayan Viciedo , the Royals weren't finished.
Jarrod Dyson just beat out a single to second after Beckham made a diving stop on his grounder, and Gordon then chased Peavy with a single to center that made it 3-2, putting Kansas City up for good.
Now, the Royals are 4-3 in August after dropping 19 of 26 in July.
"I think the last couple days we've had renewed energy, renewed vision, and I'm pleased with where we're at right now," Yost said.
NOTES: The only other White Sox player with a leadoff homer this season was Alejandro De Aza against Cleveland on April 9. ... The White Sox scratched Kevin Youkilis from their lineup because of a sore right knee. Youkilis was penciled in to bat second and play third base. Instead, the White Sox inserted Ray Olmedo into the lineup at third and had him bat ninth while juggling several other spots in the order. ... Jordan Danks got his second straight start in center field with De Aza bothered by tightness in his back. "I just want to get better," De Aza said. "I'd rather lose two or three days instead of trying to play and it gets worse." ... Jeremy Guthrie goes for his first win as a Royal, while Jose Quintana starts for the White Sox on Wednesday. Guthrie is 0-3 with the Royals after going 3-9 with a 6.35 ERA in 15 starts and 19 appearances for Colorado. Quintana has four no-decisions since the All-Star break.
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Kansas City Royals