TUCSON, ARIZ. ? There was one positive for Kansas City manager Tony Pena after a 14-3 thrashing Monday by the Chicago White Sox: It wasn’t a week later. The Sox and Royals play opening-day Monday in Kansas City.

To their spring game, Kansas City brought a squad of only four regular starters in the lineup, while the Sox hid scheduled starting pitcher Jon Garland in a Triple-A game with Colorado.

But Royals pitchers Junior Herndon and Les Walrond got a good look at Sox hitters.

The White Sox (13-13) got three runs off Herndon (0-1) in the first inning, with Jose Valentin getting an RBI single, followed by a two-run homer by Magglio Ordonez. The Sox made it 3-0 in the third on Carlos Lee’s sacrifice fly.

With Herndon out of the game, it was in the fourth inning when the floodgates opened. The Sox hit around and scored seven runs off Kansas University product Walrond, including a sacrifice fly by Juan Uribe, a solo home run by Aaron Rowand and RBI doubles by Willie Harris and Ordonez.

That was more than enough for starter Neal Cotts (1-1), who went three innings and allowed just one hit.

The Sox ended up with 15 hits against the Royals, led by a 4-for-4 day by Ordonez. He also had four RBIs, with two doubles and the home run. Harris was 3-for-5 and scored two runs.