KANSAS CITY (AP) - After James Shields pitched eight shutout innings, he was gone.
Soon, so was Kansas City's lead and the game.
The Chicago White Sox tied it in the ninth against closer Greg Holland and Jordan Danks homered in the 11th Monday for a 2-1 win over the Royals.
Shields said he was fine with manager Ned Yost's decision to pull him with a 1-0 lead.
"Ned's the kind of manager who works with his starters," Shields said. "But we're going to Holland all day. He's having a great season. That's the right move."
Shields allowed two hits and struck out a season-high nine.
The White Sox quickly loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth. Alexei Ramirez hit an infield single with two outs that made it 1-all and Danks, a pinch-runner, was caught in a rundown between home and third and tagged out to end the rally.
Danks connected with two outs off Kelvin Herrera (2-3) for his first homer of the season. The White Sox avoided a three-game sweep and won for only the fifth time in 18 tries in Kauffman Stadium.
Asked if he considered letting Shields start the ninth, Yost said, "Not really."
"Everybody has their job to do and Shields had done his," Yost said. "He threw eight shutout innings. It was a one-run game. The runs make all the difference. If it was a two-run or a three-run lead, yeah. But in a one-run game, (if) you send him out he's either going to win it or lose it. You let the closer go out and try to do his job."
Shields, who lost to Chris Sale 1-0 on opening day in Chicago, walked two.
Sale worked 7 1/3 innings and gave up six hits and one run, on Billy Butler's RBI double in the first.
The Royals continued a trend of failing to score much behind Shields.
"That's just the way it is when you lock up with No. 1 guys," Shields said. "I feel like I'm doing all right."
Danks just had to wait a short while for a second chance.
"I knew that was going to be my shot to do something," the backup outfielder said. "I wasn't trying to do too much. But you got a guy throwing 97, 98 (mph), he's going to provide most of the power. Like coaches have been telling you since Little League, get something good to hit."
Herrera said it was a bad pitch, "a fastball in the middle, up."
Jesse Crain (1-1) pitched one scoreless inning for the win. Addison Reed worked the 11th for his 11th save in 12 opportunities.
"I kind of fell into a groove," Sale said. "Sweeps will kill you. James Shields was awesome, actually. But to keep our heads in the game and grind it out, it says a lot about who we are."
After Gordon's two-out single in the third, Sale retired 15 straight batters until Salvador Perez doubled into the gap with two out in the seventh.
Notes: This was the makeup for the game that was postponed the previous Friday because of freezing rain. ... Sale threw 34 pitches in the first inning, including 12 to Mike Moustakas before he popped out on a 3-2 offering. ... With one out in the 10th, Dewayne Wise singled but was cut down by Royals RF Jeff Francoeur when he overslid the bag at second. With one out in the 11th, Alex Rios singled but was caught trying to steal second.