KANSAS CITY -- It was basically station-to-station offense for the White Sox on Thursday afternoon, and the end result was a big red stop sign when it comes to making up ground in the American League Central race.

Despite logging 14 hits, Chicago wound up with just three runs as Kansas City starter Zack Greinke danced out of trouble repeatedly in a 5-3 Royals victory that gave them three of four in the series.

It wasn’t until after the Royals carried a 4-0 lead to the eighth that the White Sox finally scored. Chicago got a two-run homer from Yasmani Grandal then and a solo shot by Andrew Vaughn later in the ninth, but it was all too little, too late.

Even though White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease had another excellent outing, he left the game trailing 1-0 thanks to Vinnie Pasquantino’s solo homer in the second. For the second game in a row, Chicago’s bullpen failed to keep the game close, and therefore the late homers became a moot point.

Greinke’s Houdini-like escapes resulted in the veteran right-hander exiting the game with a nine-hit shutout alive through 6 1/3 innings. All nine hits allowed were singles.

“If you follow Zack Greinke’s career, he pitches out of a lot of jams,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “It’s tough to take, but tip your cap to him.”

The start of the third inning symbolized Chicago’s frustrations, as three consecutive singles -- all to the outfield -- did not produce a run. With runners at first and second, Vaughn dropped in a hit to right and Seby Zavala went for the tag up rather than going halfway between second and third. When the ball dropped, Zavala had to stop at third.

That baserunning decision didn’t immediately look as though it would be very consequential, since the White Sox had the bases loaded with nobody out and their 3-4-5 hitters coming up. But Greinke dialed in and struck out Eloy Jiménez and José Abreu before getting Grandal on a groundout.

“If the ball is caught by the right fielder and [Zavala] doesn’t tag up, we’d be upset,” La Russa said. “I think he made the right baserunning play.”

The White Sox ended their road trip at 3-5 and return back to Chicago 56-56. Following an 8-3 loss on Wednesday, veteran starter Johnny Cueto said through a translator, “we need to show the fire we have, if we have any.”

La Russa said before Thursday’s series finale he would speak with Cueto.

“He’s a veteran, we all respect him,” La Russa said. “But it’s surprising ... usually that’s better said in the clubhouse to your teammates.”

Vaughn lamented that the White Sox couldn’t break through against Greinke to put Cease in position for a win.

“Dylan did phenomenal today,” Vaughn said. “It stinks not to get him some runs.”

Cease allowed just three hits over six innings and struck out eight. It was his 14th consecutive start allowing one earned run or fewer.

“[Losing three of four] is definitely not ideal, but we’re not hanging our heads,” Cease said. “We just have to keep battling and not get emotionally negative in any way.”