CHICAGO – Carl Everett and Ross Gload homered, and Freddy Garcia pitched six strong innings to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals.

After giving up two runs and three hits in the first, Garcia (10-9) settled in and shut down the Royals. He allowed seven hits in six innings but struck out seven and walked none.

Garcia is 6-2 in nine starts with the White Sox since being acquired from Seattle on June 27.

Damaso Marte replaced Garcia following an 83-minute rain delay between the sixth and seventh. There was a second rain delay, lasting 57 minutes, with one out in the bottom of the eighth.

Marte pitched a scoreless seventh and Cliff Politte worked the eighth. Shingo Takatsu pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 11 chances.

Gload’s homer, a solo shot in the fourth, snapped a 2-2 tie and put the White Sox ahead for good. It was only his third this season, first at home and first since May 19.

Kansas City’s Jimmy Serrano (0-1) allowed three runs and four hits through six innings in his second major league start. He struck out six.

Serrano had a no-decision in a 7-5 loss to Anaheim on Aug. 7.

Dennys Reyes replaced Serrano in the seventh and pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings. He was replaced by D.J. Carrasco after the second rain delay.

Joe Randa and Mike Sweeney drove in Kansas City’s runs.

The Royals took a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Randa – just inside the left-field line – and a bloop RBI single by Sweeney.

Everett’s two-run homer in the bottom of the first tied it.

Notes: Kansas City CF David DeJesus went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. He’s 20-for-47 during the stretch. … Royals OF Aaron Guiel returned to the lineup for the first time since going on the disabled list May 13 with blurred vision in his left eye. … Gload started at 1B instead of Paul Konerko, who was given a rest.

AP-ES-08-12-04 1847EDT