KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The clock has not struck midnight yet for the Kansas City Royals to defend their World Series championship, but it is getting close.The Royals were not just swept in a four-game series by the Oakland Athletics, who are in last place in the American League West, but were embarrassed. They fell 14-5 Thursday and did not score a run until the ninth inning.They were outscored 43-12, the most runs they have allowed in a four-game series in Royals history. The previous high was 41 by the New York Yankees in 1998 and Minnesota Twins in 2006.Its been tough, said Christian Colon, who hit a three-run homer with two out in the ninth for his first career home run. Were not used to this, so its hard. Its hard to really enjoy this because you play to win the game. Thats what matters the most at the end of the day.The Royals chances to get back into postseason are rapidly fading with 16 games left.The Royals, who have lost eight of their past nine Kauffman Stadium games, continue this eight-game homestand with four games against the Chicago White Sox.The White Sox are coming off a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians, who are running away with the American League Central. Jose Abreu homered for the White Sox, while Carlos Sanchez had a walk-off RBI-single.He (Abreu) started out a bit slow but when you look at the end of the year hes probably going to have numbers there as impressive as anybody in the league, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. If he can get a few more homers and everything else, its historic stuff hes chasing (30 HR, 100 RBI).The White Sox will start All-Star left-hander Chris Sale in the series opener Friday. Sale, who leads the American League with a 3.03 ERA and five complete-games, lost 2-0 to the Royals on Sunday in Chicago.Sale is among the AL pitching leaders with 205 strikeouts, 15 victories, 201 2/3 innings, .220 opponents batting average, 2.55 road ERA and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings.Sale usually has little difficulty with left-handed hitters, but Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is 18-for-45, .400, off him. Hosmer is the only left-handed hitter with three home runs off Sale.Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar has a .354 average, 23-for-65, with one home run, off Sale. Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales has only a .190 average in 21 at-bats off Sale, but two of his four hits are home runs.The Royals will start right-hander Ian Kennedy, who outdueled Sale Sunday, pitching six scoreless innings and allowing just one hit, a leadoff single to Adam Eaton, but worked around four walks, while striking out six.Kennedy is 5-0 with a 2.16 ERA, yielding 12 earned runs in 50 innings, since the beginning of August.Kennedy is 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in three starts this season against the White Sox. He has a 2-1 record with a 3.38 ERA in his career against the White Sox.It seems unlikely Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain will appear in the series as he continues to nurse a sore left wrist. He has played in only game this month and could be out for the remainder of the season. Chris Whitney Jersey . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. 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(STATS) -- Tennessee State is off to the programs best start in four years, but if that success is to continue it must come with a new -- yet familiar -- face under center.With sophomore starter OShay Ackerman-Carter done for the season because of a knee injury, senior Ronald Butler takes over the reigns of the offense Saturday as the Tigers (3-0) open Ohio Valley Conference play against visiting UT Martin.Ackerman-Carter threw for 598 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions before he was injured in the first half of a 31-24 victory at Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 17. The Tigers conveniently had their bye last week so were able to put plenty of time into preparing for life with a new signal-caller.Thats unfortunate, coach Rod Reed said. But we have a very capable guy in Ronald Butler running the show.The Tigers last opened with four straight wins while going 7-0 in 2012, but they only won once the rest of the way and failed to make the playoffs. Reed, though, seems to believe the good times will keep coming with Butler leading the way.The Tallahassee, Fla., native has played in 31 games at Tennessee State with 13 starts, including eight in 2013 when he was named all-OVC Second Team as a freshman. Butler, who went 7 of 13 for 72 yards with two touchdowns and an interception after Ackerman-Carter was injured, has thrown for more than 2,700 yards with 24 TDs and 15 INTs for his career.Our playbook wont change, Reed said. Ronald has been running this offense for three years. ... Were just going to keep plugging along.Butler also knows helll have help from a stellar offensive line in front of him.dddddddddddd That unit has allowed just one sack and has paved the way for Tigers backs to average 4.8 yards per carry.Hopefully we can continue that trend, Reed said. Weve got to be consistent up front. Hopefully we can keep Butlers uniform clean and run the ball.The former might be tough against UTM (2-2, 1-0), which has recorded five sacks in the last two games. Its also picked off six passes in 2016. Butler is 13 of 25 for 189 yards and a TD in three games against the Skyhawks, though most of that action came as a freshman.This is the biggest challenge weve faced to date, Reed said.UT Martin will try for a third straight victory in the series and overall. The Skyhawks are tied for seventh in the FCS in scoring (42.8 points per game) and junior quarterback Troy Cook ranks among the national leaders with nine TD passes.Rod and I have been competing against each other for a lot of years, UT Martin coach Jason Simpson said. Theres been some good battles.This contest is part of the annual Sgt. York Trophy competition, an in-season series contested among the leagues four Tennessee-based schools. This and the Commander in Chiefs -- featuring the nations services academies -- are the only traveling trophies in collegiate sports to involve more than two teams. UT Martin won last seasons title with victories over Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay. ' ' '