Chicago ? White Sox utilityman Ross Gload had a rare chance to play and came through.

Gload, filling in at first base Thursday for Paul Konerko, hit a tiebreaking homer, leading Chicago over the Kansas City Royals, 3-2.

With one out in the fourth inning, Gload hit a 3-1 pitch from rookie starter Jimmy Serrano over the center-field fence for a solo shot.

“You get behind in the count, hopefully he’s going to throw a fastball against a guy like me,” Gload said. “He doesn’t know me, and I don’t know him. It’s his best fastball against by best swing, I guess.”

Gload’s homer was just his third of the season, first at home and first since May 19. He added a single to finish 2-for-3.

Konerko, a right-handed hitter who leads the White Sox with 29 homers, got the day off against Serrano, a right-hander making his second major-league start.

Carl Everett hit a two-run homer in the first inning for the White Sox, who got six strong innings from starter Freddy Garcia (10-9).

After giving up two runs and three hits in the first, Garcia shut down the Royals. He allowed seven hits but struck out seven and walked none.

“I didn’t think I was struggling,” Garcia said. “They didn’t hit the ball hard, a couple of bloops. After that I tried to stay calm and make my pitch.”

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

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.

Kansas City's Abraham Nunez signs autographs for fans during a rain delay in the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox. The game eventually resumed and the White Sox beat the Royals, 3-2, Thursday in Chicago.

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

Serrano (0-1) allowed three runs and four hits through six innings. He struck out six. Serrano had a no-decision in a 7-5 loss on Aug. 7 to Anaheim.

“I felt a little more comfortable this time as opposed to the first time,” he said. “I was trying to stay ahead and they let me know when I fell behind because I had to come at them. That’s when I made my mistakes.”

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.

6Sports video: White Sox defeat Royals

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 because of blurred vision in his left eye.

White Sox designated hitter Carl Everett, right, high-fives third-base coach Joey Cora after Everett homered in the first inning. The White Sox beat the Royals, 3-2, Thursday in Chicago.