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Sale pitches five innings of three-run ball

In a matter of a week, White Sox lefty Chris Sale went from being a starter to a closer and back to a starter again.

The song and dance took its toll on the 23-year-old, who wanted to remain in the rotation even though his 71 innings pitched last season were the most he'd thrown as a professional. In his first start since returning to the rotation, Sale surrendered three earned runs to the Royals over five innings and lost, 5-0.

The left-hander will look to settle into his now permanent role on Thursday, when he faces a dangerous Angels lineup in the finale of the White Sox two-game set in Southern California.

"It was said in a meeting that I was going back to the rotation," Sale said. "You could have punched me square in the face and I would have still been smiling."

Elbow soreness originally raised red flags about Sale's long-term healthy. After the ordeal, veteran Jake Peavy spoke with Sale about dealing with minor problems in the pitching arm.

"Chris Sale is the ultimate competitor. He loves to win and wants to win," Peavy said. "I just told him you have to be honest with the training room, and be proactive. I just advised him to take some time every day and put some deposits back in yourself. Even when you don't feel like you need it, it's a long season. I promise you it will pay off."

Overall this season, Sale boasts a solid 3.08 ERA with 33 strikeouts.

For the Angels, C.J. Wilson will get the start against the White Sox. The 31-year-old is coming off an odd set of circumstances surrounding his last two appearances.

Originally slated to pitch on Friday vs. his old teammates in Texas, rain shortened Wilson's day to one-third of an inning. He gave up four earned runs before the delay set in.

Just one day later, though, Wilson pitched again. This time he performed much better, tossing 5 2/3 innings while allowing two earned runs in a 4-2 Angels victory.

"I feel like it's good for our team to see me go out there and challenge the situation. I just want to set a tone," Wilson said after his second consecutive day of pitching. "I wanted to stand up to it again because, obviously, last night didn't shake out."

Angels: Pujols staying put
Manager Mike Scioscia isn't giving much thought to hitting Albert Pujols lower in the lineup while he tries to figure it out his struggles.

"He's much better served staying where he is right now," Scioscia said. "Just grinding through it. You'd only consider that if it was going to be a means to a better end."

White Sox: Hickey remembered fondly
Kevin Hickey, a pregame instructor and former pitcher for the White Sox, died Wednesday morning at the age of 56.

Hickey, who pitched for the club from 1981-83 and the Orioles from 1989-91, was taken to Parkland Hospital in Dallas on April 5 after he was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Texas on April 5 after missing the team's workout prior to Opening Day. He was then moved to the intensive-care unit at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where he remained unresponsive.

"Ask anyone in our clubhouse, every person here appreciated what Kevin did to help the White Sox win baseball games," said White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko. "No one wanted to win more, no one was more optimistic, no one cared more and no one took more pride in his job. He made all of us better."

The left-hand reliever compiled a 9-14 record, 3.91 ERA and 17 saves in 231 career appearances. He rejoined the White Sox organization before the 2004 season as a pregame instructor and batting-practice pitcher.

Worth noting
• On Friday, the Angels head south to face the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. It is Los Angeles' first regular-season visit to the stadium.

• On Tuesday, the White Sox surrendered a six-run lead in their 10-8 loss to Detroit. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the White Sox lost a home game after leading by at least six runs was May 12, 1996, against the Yankees.

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