CHICAGO — Tim Anderson had a promising major league debut and the Chicago White Sox used their power to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-5 on Friday night.
Alex Avila, Melky Cabrera and Brett Lawrie homered for the White Sox, who smashed a season-high four homers, including two by Avila. The team was tied for 25th in the majors for home runs entering the game.
Anderson, the newly promoted shortstop, singled and doubled.
Eric Hosmer homered twice for the Royals, who have lost eight straight. The White Sox have won two of their last seven games.
Chicago starter Chris Sale (10-2) gave up five runs — including three homers — and a season-worst 11 hits in six-plus innings. He struck out eight and walked one and snapped a three-game winless streak.
Sale became the first American League pitcher to reach 10 victories. David Robertson picked up his 15th save of the season.
Royals starter Ian Kennedy (4-5) allowed seven runs, including a career-worst four home runs, and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The Royals fell to 5-2 against the White Sox this season. Chicago ended a losing streak of nine games to American League Central oppponents.
Kansas City’s Salvador Perez hit his eighth home run of the season to cut the deficit to two in the sixth before Avila’s two-run homer extended the White Sox lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the inning. It was the fifth multi-homer game of Avila’s career.
Alcides Escobar had an RBI single and Hosmer added a sacrifice fly in the seventh for the Royals to make it a two-run game.
Hosmer’s first homer was a solo shot with two outs in the first inning. It was the fourth career home run that Sale has allowed to a left-hander and the first since 2012.
Anderson doubled in his first major league at-bat in the third after the White Sox promoted him from Triple-A Charlotte earlier in the day and designated veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins for assignment. Anderson, a 2013 first-round draft pick, advanced on a groundout and scored on Jose Abreu’s single to tie it.
Melky Cabrera followed with a two-run homer, his fifth home run of the season, for a 3-1 White Sox lead.
Hosmer hit his second homer of the game to lead off the fourth and cut the lead to one. It was the fourth multi-home run game of his career and first since 2013.
Hosmer is the second player to hit two home runs in a game against Sale. The other was Cleveland’s Ryan Rayburn on Sept. 7, 2015, at U.S. Cellular Field.
Lawrie and Avila hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth for a 5-2 White Sox lead. It was the seventh homer for Lawrie and the first for Avila with the White Sox.
NOTES: The White Sox promoted top prospect and SS Tim Anderson from Triple-A Charlotte before Friday’s game. The 2013 first-round draft pick, who batted ninth Friday, was hitting .304 with four home runs with Charlotte. … In a corresponding move, White Sox SS Jimmy Rollins was designated for assignment. The veteran hit .221 in 41 games after signing as a free agent Feb. 22. … White Sox OF Austin Jackson went on the 15-day disabled list Friday for a medial meniscus tear in his left knee. He will undergo surgery and is expected to be out at least six weeks. … OF Jason Coats was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. … White Sox RHPs Jake Petricka (hip) and Daniel Webb (Tommy John) are expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. … Royals SS Alcides Escobar was out of the leadoff spot Friday for the first time this season. He batted second. … Kansas City RHP Chris Young was scheduled to pitch Saturday against Chicago. LHP Danny Duffy will get the nod in favor of Young, who likely will start Tuesday against Cleveland. … Royals hitting coach Dale Sveum was ejected in the seventh inning when Salvador Perez struck out.