KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer threw seven shutout innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
“You can’t get much better,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “The efficiency, every inning except the one. Location, he seemed to have it on both sides of the plate. He also had some bigger breaking balls and that kept them off balance.”
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer threw seven shutout innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
Chicago White Sox' Brooks Baldwin strikes out against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Royals' Kyle Isbel flies out to Chicago White Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates a one-RBI double against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia throws out Chicago White Sox' Nicky Lopez at first base during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brady Singer throws to a Chicago White Sox batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Singer faced the minimum through three before running into fourth-inning trouble, walking two to load the bases. He escaped with a strikeout and retired 10 of the final 13 hitters.
“Obviously, didn’t want a big inning to happen there, so to get out of those jams and put up a zero was huge,” Singer said. “The biggest thing was getting deep in the game, controlling my pitch count and pitching into the seventh inning.”
Singer (6-6) allowed five singles with two walks and seven strikeouts to earn his second win in his last 10 starts.
“Sinker was great,” he said. “Slider was good. I thought the sweeper was better, my best pitch of the night. I was able to use that a lot more tonight.”
The major league-worst White Sox have dropped six straight and nine of their last 10 games. They have lost 10 consecutive road series since their last win, May 3-5 at St. Louis.
“We had some opportunities to put some runs on the board and we just didn’t,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “(Singer) sinks it. He’s got late, late life on it. When he’s got his fastball going, he’s got his command going, he’s got his slider, he’s pretty tough to hit.”
The Royals built a 3-0 lead in the first inning with five straight hits, highlighted by Michael Massey’s RBI triple. Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the second, adding another run.
Jonathan Cannon (1-4) held Kansas City to one single thereafter, finishing six innings while allowing four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.
“He was a little too strong,” Grifol said. “He just needed to take a step back there and settle down and pitch a little bit. Today was a good developmental day for him. In reality, he gave us a chance to win.”
Witt had three hits and has hit safely in 29 of his last 30 home games, batting .444. He has multiple hits in nine of his last 14 games.
Salvador Perez had two hits and an RBI, and Hunter Renfroe drove in two runs in the Royals’ sixth victory in their last eight games.
Hunter Harvey allowed two doubles and an eighth-inning run in his Royals debut.
Kansas City’s 33 wins at Kauffman Stadium are the second-most home wins in baseball behind Philadelphia’s 37 and match the Royals’ home win total from 2023.
Chuckie Robinson made his White Sox debut at catcher, throwing out Witt attempting to steal third.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: Placed RHP Jordan Leasure on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 17) with a right shoulder impingement.
TRANSACTIONS
White Sox: Recalled LHP Sammy Peralta from Triple-A Charlotte.
UP NEXT
White Sox right-hander Drew Thorpe (3-1, 3.58 ERA) opposes Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (11-4, 2.48) in Sunday’s series finale.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia is congratulated after scoring on a Bobby Witt Jr. double against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Chicago White Sox' Brooks Baldwin strikes out against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Royals' Kyle Isbel flies out to Chicago White Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates a one-RBI double against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia throws out Chicago White Sox' Nicky Lopez at first base during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brady Singer throws to a Chicago White Sox batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
DUBLIN (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with his Irish counterpart, Saturday in what was billed as an attempt to reset relations between the two countries after years of tensions following the U.K.'s departure from the European Union.
Starmer's visit to meet Irish premier Simon Harris is the first by a British leader to Ireland in five years. It is a further sign that the two wish to deepen relations on economic and security matters. Harris was the first international leader Starmer hosted following his Labour Party's landslide election victory on July 4.
“Today is really significant because we have made clear our ambition to reset the relationship and today we take that forward," Starmer said after the afternoon meeting with Harris at Farmleigh House in Dublin, the Irish Government’s formal reception house for state visits. “We are clear that by March we want to have a summit to show the yield from this and then annual summits after that.”
Relations between the two countries have been strained ever since the U.K. voted in June 2016 to leave the European Union, especially in light of how it affected the political structures of Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K.
When the U.K. left the bloc, the British government and the EU agreed to keep the Irish border free of customs posts and other checks because an open border is a key pillar of the peace process that ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland. Later, Starmer's Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak renegotiated the initial agreement, and that has won the support of both sides of the Northern Irish political divide.
Starmer said now was a chance to further solidify the relations, both with Ireland as well as the EU. He has said that the U.K. will not seek to rejoin the EU under his leadership, nor the bloc's frictionless single market and customs union. However, he has made it clear that he wants to renegotiate elements of the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU in order to bolster growth.
“We are also resetting our relationship with the EU and I have made it very clear that I want a closer relationship with the EU," he said. “That is of course on security, on defense, but also on trade, reducing the friction and any business here in Ireland will tell you that reducing the friction helps and so we want to reset that relationship."
He has been touring EU capitals since he got elected in the hope of generating the goodwill to move forward on that front, as well as "stand together" on international issues such as the war in Ukraine.
The two leaders participated in a business roundtable in Dublin to explore how a “reset” in relations can benefit trade. The economic relationship is worth around 120 billion euros ($130 billion), supporting thousands of jobs on both sides of the Irish Sea.
The two leaders headed off after the early meeting to a soccer match between Ireland and England in Dublin, which provided them with a clear photo opportunity. They swapped jerseys with Starmer holding up an Irish shirt with his surname on it and Harris holding up an England jersey with his name on it.
“We will have intense and friendly competition, and then we will renew and reset again later in the evening,” said Harris, who is also new in the job having been elected premier in April.
Starmer, a keen soccer player, laughed when asked if he would wear it to the match later.
“It will make an appearance in my nine-a-side," he said. "This will be proudly worn in north London before too long.”
Pylas contributed from London.
The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left and his British counterpart Keir Starmer hold up their respective national soccer teams shirts, with their names on their opposite teams shirt, at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)
The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left listens to his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)
The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left listens to his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)
The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left watch as his British counterpart Keir Starmer signs the visitors book as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)
The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left, gestures as he greets his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)
The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, right speaks with his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)
The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left, and his British counterpart Keir Starmer hold up their respective national soccer teams shirts, with their names on their opposite teams shirt, at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Ireland and England play a nations league soccer match in Dublin later. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)
The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left, gestures as he greets his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)
The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, right, listens to his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)
The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left, and his British counterpart Keir Starmer hold up their respective national soccer teams shirts, with their names on their opposite teams shirt, at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Ireland and England play a nations league soccer match in Dublin later. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)
