Michael Kopech pitches 4 strong innings and Andrew Vaughn homers as White Sox beat Royals, 3-1, in Game 2 of doubleheader

CHICAGO — Michael Kopech pitched four strong innings and Andrew Vaughn hit a two-run home run as the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 in Game 2 of a split doubleheader Friday.

Kopech allowed one run on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks as the Sox earned a split in front of 9,823 at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Royals won the first game, 6-2.

The Sox were without first baseman José Abreu, who left Game 1 after colliding with Hunter Dozier while coming in to try to make a play on a popup near home plate in the second inning.

Vaughn started at first in Game 2 and picked up the RBI production. Adam Eaton began the second inning with a double off the top of the right-field wall. Vaughn followed with the 421-foot home run to left for his second homer of the season.

The Sox added a third run in the inning on a bases-loaded walk to Yoán Moncada.

Carlos Santana got the first hit for the Royals on a solo home run to right with two outs in the third.

Kopech allowed a one-out single in the fourth, but struck out the final two batters he faced in the 65-pitch outing.

Sox reliever Codi Heuer struck out two while pitching a scoreless fifth inning to get credited with the win. The American League Central-leading Sox (23-14) have won eight of their last 10.