White Sox lose seventh in a row

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Catcher Welington Castillo of the Chicago White Sox reacts after overthrowing first base on a bunt during the 3rd inning of the game at Kauffman Stadium on September 11, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — So much for finishing on a high note.

After going 17-12 in August and winning two of their first three games in September, the White Sox were trending toward a second solid month to use as a springboard toward next season, but their 6-3 loss Tuesday to the Royals, the second-worst team in baseball, was their seventh in a row.

The result left the Sox (56-89) one loss shy of their season-high eight-game skid in June. They need to win seven of their last 17 games to avoid becoming the fourth team in franchise history with 100 losses.

Sox right-hander Dylan Covey (5-13, 5.64 ERA), replacing Michael Kopech in the starting rotation, opened with two scoreless innings but allowed six runs (five earned) and six hits and walked three in 4 1/3 innings in his first start since Aug. 18. Royals rookie righty Brad Keller (8-6) lowered his ERA to 3.04 with seven innings of one-run ball. The Sox’ only run against Keller came on Avisail Garcia’s RBI infield single in the third inning.

The Sox made it 6-3 in the ninth on Tim Anderson’s single that scored Ryan LaMarre and Yoan Moncada’s bases-loaded walk against Wily Peralta with two outs. But Yolmer Sanchez, representing the go-ahead run, popped out to end the game.

The Royals are 49-95.

The Sox have been outscored 46-17 during their seven-game skid.

“If your offense goes dormant a little bit, it starts to look like things aren’t going well,’’ manager Rick Renteria said. “And we’ve had some [defensive] miscues out here.’’

Jones comes off disabled list

Right-hander Nate Jones, out since June 12 with a pronator muscle strain, returned from the 60-day disabled list to pitch a scoreless seventh inning. Jones struck out one and allowed an infield hit.

Renteria said Jones’ usage will be monitored in the last three weeks of the season.

“We want to make sure we use the rest of the season to get him in ballgames and get him out through the rest of the year healthy,” Renteria said.

Achy Davidson recovers

Matt Davidson, used primarily as a designated hitter before Jose Abreu went on the disabled list but as a regular first baseman afterward, missed his second straight start with ‘lower extremity discomfort,” Renteria said. Davidson played 18 games in the field since Aug. 21, all but one at first base, which is not as stationary a position as one might think.

“Hoping to get him back in there [Wednesday],” Renteria said.

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Davidson was batting .310 with two home runs over his last 12 games and is 7-for-12 with seven homers and 12 RBI at Kauffman Stadium, the most homers by an opponent at Kauffman in one season.

McEwing will never forget

Third-base coach Joe McEwing was in Pittsburgh as a player for the Mets on Sept. 11, 2001, at the time of the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York. The impression he’ll never forget was returning to the city by bus.

“Humbling,” McEwing said. “It was completely black with nobody on the roads. And for me, as one who grew up on the East Coast, I don’t care if it’s 3 or 4 in the morning, you never see that.

“We turned, and when you saw the first glimpse of the city, you saw all the smoke from all the rubble, and you couldn’t see the skyline for the first time. You are sitting there just breathless, just trying to take in what literally just happened.’’

The Mets worked out at Shea Stadium and helped first responders stationed at the park.

“It made a lot of people understand and be thankful for what they have and understanding that was going to change from that moment on,’’ he said.

McEwing said being a small part of the relief effort was one of the biggest accomplishments of his career.

“It changed my life and changed America forever,” he said.

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