Confident Hernández has White Sox number

KANSAS CITY -- The White Sox have now seen Carlos Hernández as a starter three different times this season.

And all three times, one of the best offenses in baseball has failed to generate much of anything off of the Royals right-hander.

• Box score

The latest was the Royals’ 7-2 win Friday night at Kauffman Stadium, in a game that didn’t start until after 9 p.m. CT because of thunderstorms in Kansas City. Hernández stayed relaxed but focused through the two-hour delay, and when he finally emerged from the dugout to warm up, not even the steady rainfall could throw him off.

Hernández threw six innings of two-run ball, helping the Royals snap their four-run skid and take the series opener against the American League Central-leading White Sox. The offense came alive against lefty Dallas Keuchel, scoring as many runs Friday as it did in three games against Cleveland this week.

Buoyed by a big lead, thanks to three-hit days from Andrew Benintendi -- who was a homer away from the cycle -- and Michael A. Taylor, Hernández shut down the White Sox offense.

“It’s every time, working, and my mentality is to attack,” Hernández said, a native of Venezuela speaking to the media in English for the first time this season. “Compete. One inning by one inning. Hitter [by] hitter. And that’s it.”

Hernández’s explanation is simple: All he does is attack the zone. That’s it. But it’s a difficult task that he has made look easy in this second half of the season.

Since the Royals put Hernández in their rotation, he has been nothing but dominant. Including Friday night, the right-hander has posted a 2.94 ERA in 49 innings since July 18. That line also includes a jaw-dropping relief outing last week in Seattle, when he allowed one infield single in 5 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.

In three starts against the White Sox, Hernández has held them to three runs on 11 hits in 17 innings -- and just a .186 average (11-for-59). Their two runs on Friday didn’t come until the sixth, when Hernández threw out Leury García at first base with one out instead of throwing home.

Then Gavin Sheets’ blooper fell between third baseman Adalberto Mondesi and Benintendi in shallow left for the second run.

Hernández got a ground ball to end the inning and his outing at 95 pitches and another quality start.

"He’s been better than pretty good,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “He’s pitched impressively. I remember I watched him on the tape the first time and I was impressed with his fastball. He commands the breaking ball and he’s got a good changeup.

“He’s a complete pitcher.”

Hernández used all five of his pitches Friday, navigating around the White Sox order while keeping them off balance with his whole arsenal: Fastball, sinker, slider, curveball and changeup.

He didn’t get as many swings and misses as he has before, instead relying on weak contact. The White Sox whiffed nine times out of 41 swings against Hernández but averaged an 86.4 mph exit velocity against the starter.

Hernández is just fine with that. His mentality is “one pitch, one out,” forcing him to be aggressive in the zone, rely on his defense and pitch deeper into games. He attacks hitters with his stuff, daring them to hit it. At times, his command gets away from him -- evidenced by the three walks Friday.

He went right back to the strike zone for the next batter.

“I think it’s a great philosophy, not always running after swing and miss,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “... Attacking the strike zone. It’s been kind of the motto, and he did it with every pitch. And just continues to take steps forward, little things he’s doing, you’re seeing that he’s repeating better all the time.

“He’s getting better.”

With each start, the 24-year-old is gaining confidence on the mound. It’s showing not only with the results but with his presence, too. He has the makings of an ace, adding to the Royals’ promising group of young pitchers they hope will lead them back to contention in the coming years.

“This is the first day I really saw him with more of a presence,” Matheny said. “... Confidence in everything you have and the ability to make different pitches. He showed that today. It looked different to me. He throws his shoulders back in situations that are challenging, and he’s handled it much better than most young pitchers would.”

So, does Hernández feel as confident as he looks?

“Yes,” he said. “It’s practice and practice and practice and practice. I go into the game, and it’s much better.”