Johnny Cueto struggles again, White Sox beat Royals 7-5 to sweep series

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Johnny Cueto sauntered off the mound and pulled his dark leather glove to his face, screaming into the glove’s webbing as the afternoon sun baked Kauffman Stadium on Sunday. As he slowly returned to the dugout, Cueto was disgusted and dismayed, his brow already covered in sweat as he continued the most vexing stretch of his sterling career.

It was still the first inning of an eventual 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox, and Cueto had already surrendered three runs and four baserunners. His fastball lacked consistent command. His off-speed arsenal was ambushed by a lineup of eager hitters. For the fourth straight start, Cueto toed the combustible line between human and ineffective.

Cueto lasted just three innings, yielding five runs and seven hits and continuing a weekend of forgettable starting pitching for the Royals. On Friday, the White Sox battered right-hander Kris Medlen. On Saturday, Danny Duffy was done in by a couple costly misses. On Sunday, Cueto could not shake the mechanical issues that have confounded him since late August. Royals manager Ned Yost pulled him after just 77 pitches.

The Royals, 82-54, were swept in a three-game series for the first time since losing three straight at Houston from June 28-30. Their lead over Toronto for the American League’s best record is now down to four. Kansas City will begin a three-game home set with Minnesota on Monday.

For the moment, the Royals’ cushion in the American League Central is an enviable 12 games, but the concerns over Cueto will grow more palpable as October approaches.

Sunday marked six weeks to the day since the Royals’ front office acquired Cueto from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed. The strategy behind the swap was simple and straight-forward. The Royals were barreling toward the postseason for the second straight year, and in Johnny Cueto, the former Reds ace, they had a frontline horse to ride in October.

To this point, the returns have been less than satisfactory. After three sterling starts in early August including a shutout against Detroit on Aug. 10 Cueto has lost four straight starts. The numbers are even worse: In 20 innings over four outings, Cueto has been mauled for 21 earned runs and 37 hits.

While Cueto struggled early, and reliever Chris Young surrendered a solo homer in the sixth, the Royals remained within striking distance of Chicago thanks to a trio of solo homers. Salvador Perez drilled a solo shot to right in the second, his 19th homer of the year. Jarrod Dyson and Mike Moustakas clubbed homers off White Sox starter Erik Johnson in the sixth.

The Royals continued the comeback in the seventh, manufacturing two runs on two hits and a hit batter. White Sox reliever Jake Petricka began the inning by beaning Perez. Paulo Orlando followed by cracking a double to left. And the runs scored on an infield single from Dyson and a sacrifice fly from Alcides Escobar. The rally cut the White Sox’s lead to 6-5, but the offense stalled against Chicago reliever Zach Duke, who struck out the side in the eighth while flummoxing Moustakas, Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon.

The Kansas City offense was working short-handed on Sunday. Manager Ned Yost offered days off to first baseman Eric Hosmer who pinch-hit in the seventh and center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Gordon served as the designated hitter, while Morales played first base. Dyson subbed in center field.

The bats still provided five runs, generally enough to secure a victory with a No. 1 starter on the mound. But for four straight starts, Cueto has been unable to find his top form.

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