Kansas City, Mo. ? Jeff Suppan knew the Kansas City Royals needed a well-pitched game Sunday after being blown out 14-0 Saturday by the Chicago White Sox.

Suppan gave the Royals just that in a 9-2 triumph over the White Sox that gave Kansas City the series two games to one. Suppan (1-0) held the Sox to one run on six hits and no walks in seven innings. The only run he allowed came on Frank Thomas’ broken-bat homer in the first.

Kansas City's Michael Tucker (24) is greeted at home plate by teammates Carlos Beltran, left, and Neifi Perez after they scored on a double by Joe Randa. The Royals defeated the Chicago White Sox, 9-2, Sunday at Kansas City, Mo. Chicago catcher Sandy Alomar is at right.

“I take the approach every game that I’m going to give the best I can,” Suppan said. “That’s my goal.”

Suppan has been the Royals’ opening-day starter for three straight seasons, but has never won more than 10 games in a season.

“Suppan pitched a great game,” manager Tony Muser said. “He went right after them. He worked both sides of the plate real well. He kept them at bay until we broke it open.”

Suppan has yielded five home runs in two starts, but the veteran has not allowed a walk in 13 innings.

“I’ve never seen one (a bat) break in half and go out,” Muser said of Thomas’ home run. “He’s a strong guy.”

Said Thomas: “I did it two years ago against Detroit. I mis-hit it. I hit that ball today solid. It just exploded.”

The Royals took a 3-1 lead into the seventh before breaking it open with a six-run inning against three relievers.

Brent Mayne and Donnie Sadler opened the inning with singles and moved up on Thomas’ throwing error at first base. Chuck Knoblauch’s one-hop double to the left-center wall snapped an 0-for-16 skid and made it 5-1.

“Knoblauch had a clutch hit,” Muser said. “He’s been struggling, but I wouldn’t call it a slump.”

Joe Randa capped the burst with a three-run double. The big hit came after Michael Tucker was walked intentionally.

Royals second baseman donnie sadler leaps through the air as he misses a ball hit by Chicago's Jose Valentin in the fourth inning of Sunday's game. Valentin picked up a single on the play. The Royals won 9-2.

“Randa is swinging the bat like he was two years ago,” Muser said.

Randa hit .304 with 106 RBIs in 2000, but tumbled to .253 last year.

White Sox starter Todd Ritchie (0-1), who pitched a one-hitter against the Royals last July while with the Pittsburgh Pirates, had retired 12 straight batters entering the sixth.

“I don’t think I’m going to panic,” Ritchie said. “It’s just one of those things. Sometimes you get the breaks and sometimes you don’t. It seems like early in the year I don’t get a lot of the breaks. I don’t know what it is. I’ve just got to go out and keep battling.”

The Royals scored twice off Ritchie in the sixth for a 3-1 lead. Neifi Perez led off with a triple and Carlos Beltran was hit by a pitch. Mike Sweeney had an RBI groundout and Tucker singled home a run.

Left-hander Damaso Martie replaced Ritchie and struck out Raul Ibanez to end the inning.

The Royals made it 1-all in the second on Mayne’s sacrifice fly.

Thomas had a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Notes: Royals LHP Darrell May, on the disabled list with a strained groin, is scheduled to make an injury rehabilitation start today for Triple-A Omaha. If he has no setback, May is scheduled to start Saturday at Cleveland. … The White Sox open the season with nine straight road games before their home opener Friday.