MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Royals win, stay close in AL Central

Guiel hit a three-run homer as Kansas City beat the Twins 4-3.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINNEAPOLIS -- Aaron Guiel hit a three-run homer off Joe Mays in the fifth inning Saturday as the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins for the second straight night, 4-3.
Guiel, who entered the game with two hits in his last 18 at-bats, went 2-for-4 for Kansas City as the Royals stayed within a game of the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central race.
Luis Rivas homered for Minnesota, which fell 21/2 games back.
After Jeremy Affeldt closed Friday's win with 21/3 perfect innings, Kansas City's bullpen again refused to budge.
Closing it out
D.J. Carrasco (5-4) scattered three hits over four innings after starter Jose Lima was removed, and Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth, getting Rivas to ground into a double play for his 26th save in 33 chances.
The Royals improved to 11-7 against the Twins despite being outscored 103-84.
Lima, who went 7-0 in his first eight starts after his contract was purchased from Triple-A Omaha on June 15, left with a 4-3 lead despite giving up 10 hits over four innings and 69 pitches.
Carrasco came out to start the fifth -- costing Lima a chance at his first victory since July 27.
KANSAS CITYMINNESOTA
abrhbiabrhbi
Guiel rf4223ShStwrt rf5010
Randa 3b4011Rivas 2b5111
MiSwy dh4000Mntkw 1b4120
Beltran cf4010LeCroy dh4121
Ibanez lf4020Koskie 3b4030
Harvey 1b4010THnter cf4000
Rlaford 2b4010JJones lf4011
Berroa ss4110Przyns c4020
DFelice c3100Gomez ss3010
Ryan ph0000
CGzmn pr0000
Totals35494Totals373133
Kansas City000130000--4
Minnesota201000000--3
DP--Kansas City 3, Minnesota 1. LOB--Kansas City 4, Minnesota 8. 2B--Guiel (20), ShStewart (33), Mientkiewicz 2 (33), Gomez (9). HR--Guiel (11), Rivas (7).
IPHRERBBSO
Kansas City
Lima4103301
Carrasco W,5-4430004
MacDougal S,26100011
Minnesota
Mays L,8-8574403
Balfour420004
Balk--Lima. Umpires--Home, Tim Tschida; First, Mike Fichter; Second, Alfonso Marquez; Third, Jeff Nelson. T--2:30. A--37,782.
White Sox 13, Rangers 2
CHICAGO -- Frank Thomas homered twice and drove in five runs as Chicago routed Texas for its sixth straight victory.
Carlos Lee homered and had four RBIs, and Jose Valentin and Joe Crede hit consecutive shots for the AL Central leaders.
Chicago has won 22 of its last 27 home games. Texas has lost three in a row after winning a season-high eight straight.
Mark Buehrle (11-12) pitched six strong innings, allowing an unearned run and four hits. He is 9-2 over his last 14 starts.
Buehrle retired 10 straight batters between the second and fifth innings. Dan Wright pitched the final three innings for his first major league save.
Sandy Alomar Jr. led off the third with a single, Lee singled and Thomas homered for the third straight game for a 3-0 lead. The shot made Thomas 5-for-8 with four home runs lifetime against Ismael Valdes (7-8).
The White Sox broke open the game with a six-run fourth. Valentin and Crede homered before Roberto Alomar and Lee hit consecutive doubles off Valdes.
TEXASCHICAGO
abrhbiabrhbi
MYong 2b4000RAlmr 2b3111
JsJones 1b0000Grffnno 2b1110
Blalock 3b4111Lee lf5334
ARdrgz ss2000Thmas dh5225
Sadler ss1000MOrdz rf4120
RPlmo dh4010Rwand rf1000
Spncer lf4010CEvrtt cf3020
Txeira 1b4020WHarrs cf1000
Thmes rf3010Dubach 1b4011
Nix rf1000Vlentin ss4111
Greene c4110Crede 3b4331
Nivar cf4011SAlmr c4110
Totals35282Totals39131713
Texas000010010--2
Chicago00361030x--13
DP--Texas 1. LOB--Texas 7, Chicago 5. 2B--RAlomar (4), Lee (27), Daubach (9), Crede (19). HR--Blalock (22), Lee (26), Thomas 2 (34), Valentin (22), Crede (15). SF--RAlomar.
IPHRERBBSO
Texas
Valdes L,7-83 2-397711
JPowell243311
Ramirez1 1-343300
FCordero100001
Chicago
Buehrle W,11-12641013
DWright S,1341100
PB--SAlomar. Umpires--Home, Brian Runge; First, Brian Gorman; Second, Lance Barksdale; Third, Ed Montague. T--2:22. A--33,721.