DH Justin Morneau missed his fourth straight game with a stiff neck.Royals

The last thing Sean Williams needed on Wednesday was to get the flu. It was the day before his Test comeback, if you can call it that given his career had only featured two Tests before this one. Perhaps its better to say it was the day before his restart, because thats how Williams saw this series.It was another chance for him to prove himself after years of yo-yoing into and out of the selectors minds, especially for the longer format. They knew he was talented and tough enough - his performances in limited-overs cricket proved that - but they werent sure he was level-headed enough, mature enough, or even committed enough to don the whites.Such was their uncertainty that Williams was not under serious consideration for this series after being left out of the Zimbabwe A side to play South Africa A earlier this month. Despite being summoned to Bulawayo from a training camp in Harare specifically for the second fixture of the A series, Williams was excluded from the XI and told to work on his mindset instead if he wanted to be considered for the Tests. Then, he was left off the squad list anyway. Rumour has it that it was only on captain Graeme Cremers insistence that Williams was eventually included. Then the flu struck.So although Williams was coughing heavily, feverish and weak, he owed it to his captain, if no one else, to fight through it on the first day. He was needed just after an hours play, his team already in a precarious situation. Zimbabwe were 35 for 3 and had been stunned by a barrage of short balls from Neil Wagner, who greeted Williams with his most hostile one. It struck him on the helmet and broke the grille.Williams had barely had time to recover from that moment when Wagner did it again and hit him again. With the same result. Except that the second time, Williams had played a pull and umpire Paul Reiffel thought his bat, not his helmet, had sent the ball to midwicket. Williams was given out. He did not move. He pointed to his helmet as though to offer an explanation but only saw a raised index finger. As he walked off, Williams continued to look at and gesture to the helmet, blaming it and himself and knowing he had made the wrong impression on the powers that be, though not entirely through his own fault.If they were uncertain about his desire to play Test cricket before, what happened next would have strengthened that assumption. Williams could not be at the ground the next day. Or for most of the one after that. Racked by chills and injected with antibiotics, Williams best option was to stay in bed to avoid passing it on to his team-mates, some of whom had already started to show symptoms. Regis Chakabva also could not take the field for New Zealands innings, although he was diagnosed with tonsillitis, which is not contagious.Both men were summoned from their sick beds towards the end of day three. Even though both would only be able to bat after five wickets had fallen because of the time spent off the field, at 17 for 4 that was imminent. Not only would they have to bat, they would have to save the team from major embarrassment. When the fifth wicket fell, Zimbabwe had stabilised and Cremer opted to take one for the team instead of send his ailing team-mates out. He saw the day to the close and, for the second time, he batted for Williams.That night, Williams wife Chantelle, who had also had the illness passed on to her, became worse. She almost fainted from the symptoms and even thought she may have had a small fit. With that on his mind, Williams travelled to Queens on Sunday morning. Chantelle, her voice rasping from coughing, her throat hoarse, was there with her sisters. The family had come to rally around their man and their team. And they were not disappointed.Williams entertained from the get-go, with shots that the rest of the line-up, barring Sikandar Razas carefree cameo, seemed too hesitant to play. He drove and swept and used his feet. He found gaps in the field and went both through and over it.The only moments that gave away that he may not have been feeling up to scratch came when he called for water five minutes before lunch because he simply couldnt wait that long and when, in the drinks break in the second session, he went down on all fours in a part-stretch, part-retch with the look of a knackered man plastered across his face. For the rest of his innings, Williams was in complete control.With Cremer playing the perfect foil at the other end, Williams gave Zimbabwe hope they could make New Zealand bat again. He gave them the belief Makhaya Ntini has been trying to drill into them; the kind of belief that only comes with performance. What they should realise is that they are better than what they think they are, Ntini said. They can do anything like any other team. They need to be given the space to understand that they can compete. Zimbabwe is going somewhere.For a minute short of three-and-a-half hours, Williams was in the space where he understood that. He repaid his captains faith in him and he proved to his doubters within the administration that he is capable and confident player, a scrapper that they should savour having around and a talent they should not take for granted in a country where the player pool remains shallow. So even though the last thing Williams needed was to get the flu, it will be the first thing he thinks of when he looks back on how he broke through and proved that he belongs. 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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chris Sale got some unexpected help to get his 16th win.A rare Carlos Sanchez home run lifted Sale, who pitched his American League-leading sixth complete-game, and the Chicago White Sox to a 7-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.Sanchez had struck out in his first three at-bats before hitting a pitch from Kelvin Herrera out to right with J.D. Shuck and Avisail Garcia aboard.I threw my arms up in the air, Sale said when Sanchez homered. It was crazy. Thats your team fighting for you right there; thats your team fighting back. You know what Herrera brings to the table. Hes one of the best. You guys have seen it. So, to be able to put up a four spot in that inning was huge.It was Sanchezs first home run since last Sept. 21 at Detroit.Sanchez has been up and down this year and there have been times when he hasnt clicked, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. But, when he gets some playing time I think hes improved enough. Hes got enough pop. When hes hitting it well, itll carry. I think thats something thatll come with him. This is, I hope, the start of that for him in his career.Todd Frazier doubled with one out and scored on Alex Avilas single for the first run of the inning. The four-run inning, gave Sale a boost to finish the game.No doubt, Sale said. It changes the complete landscape of the game, obviously. Were down two, we scored one and hit a three-run homer. I just have to go out and not mess up too badly.Sale (16-8), 1-6 in his previous 11 starts, limited the Royals to four runs, three earned, while striking out 10 and walking one.Kansas City has lost five straight and will need a miracle to return to postseason after winning the past two American League championships.Herrera (2-5) blew his third save in 14 chances.I had trouble with my release point, Herrera said. It was a little off. I felt a little off with my command for some reason. This is a tough league.Ian Kennedy, who held the White Sox to one hit over six innings Sunday to beat Sale in a 2-0 win, threw 74 pitches in the first three innings, but made it through six, allowing two runs, five hits, three walks and aa sacrifice fly.dddddddddddd He retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced.I had to talk my way into going out for the sixth inning just because the bullpen had been so taxed the last couple of days, Kennedy said. I wanted to stay in at least one more inning. It was a grind.Kennedy walked the bases loaded with none out in the second, but escaped by allowing just one run, with Frazier scoring on Leury Garcias grounder.Sale retired the first 13 batters he faced before giving up seven hits and four runs to the next 10 batters.Salvador Perezs single with one out in the fifth was the Royals first hit. Cheslor Cuthberts double moved Perez to third. Hunter Dozier, who was making his first major league start, had an infield single, scoring Perez, and Cuthbert raced home on shortstop Tyler Saladinos throwing error, to tie the score at 2.Billy Burns opened the Royals sixth with a bunt single and scored when Whit Merrifield drilled a triple to left-center. Kendrys Morales singled home Merrifield.Jose Abreu, who singled in his first two at-bats for his 12th multi-hit game in his past 18 games, scored in the third on Fraziers sacrifice fly.Melky Cabrera homered in the ninth off Peter Moylan, while Saladino had three of the White Sox 11 hits.TEPESCH OUTRIGHTEDRHP Nick Tepesch, who was designated for assignment, cleared waivers and Royals sent him outright to Triple-A Omaha. Tepesch, who is a Missouri alumnus, is 7-15 in 35 games, including 33 starts, in the majors with the Rangers and Dodgers.TRAINERS ROOMWhite Sox: DH Justin Morneau missed his fourth straight game with a stiff neck.Royals: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (right biceps tendinitis) said his arm feels good after throwing two bullpen sessions. He was scheduled to throw batting practice Friday, but a pregame rain canceled that.UP NEXTWhite Sox: RHP Miguel Gonzalez, who is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two September starts, will start Saturday.Royals: LHP Jason Vargas makes his first start since July 21, 2015, and rehabbing from reconstructive elbow surgery. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '