by Joe Cowley, The Chicago Sun-Times , Chicago Sun Times

Greinke, who has made an early statement this season to fuel Cy Young Award talk, has a history of beaning Sox hitters. Of the 29 batters Greinke has plunked in his career, nine were Sox players. He has hit only hit five batters from the other teams in the American League Central.

''To have success in the big leagues, you have to pitch inside,'' Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. ''It's one thing to pitch inside, and it's another thing to pitch behind the hitters. He pitched to [Alexei] Ramirez [earlier this season]. That ball was in, just to get him out of the way.''

But other times?

''I remember last year when he hit [Nick] Swisher -- that's not inside,'' Guillen said. ''He was throwing at him. But I don't expect anything. He's a great pitcher and I don't think he's going to hit people just because he wants to hit people.

''The game will dictate to me what to do and what not to do. When you play this game long enough, you know when people get hit and when they pitch inside. I don't care what managers say. I don't care what pitchers say. If they want to throw inside, we're adults.''

Ramirez didn't see Greinke's pitching becoming a further problem.

''It's just that they are making adjustments to me,'' Ramirez said. ''Instead of throwing breaking balls away that I'm taking now, they are trying to pound me inside. Certain teams are changing the way they pitch to me, but I'm prepared for it.''

RAMIREZ IN FLUX

Ramirez was kept out of the starting lineup against the Royals on Thursday after injuring the middle finger of his right hand fielding balls in batting practice several days ago.

He tried playing through it but was in so much discomfort late Wednesday that he pulled himself from the game against the Cleveland Indians in the eighth inning.

X-rays were negative, and Guillen was hoping to have his No. 2 hitter back tonight.

''I can't say he'll be back [tonight],'' Guillen said. ''It's still a little early.''

Guillen went with Jayson Nix in Ramirez's place Thursday, even with Gordon Beckham a natural shortstop. Nix responded with a solo home run in the fourth inning. The Sox are committed to making Beckham their third baseman of the future and didn't want to hinder that by moving him back to short.

BOX SCORE

WHITE SOX AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Podsednik lf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .309

J.Nix ss 4 1 2 1 0 1 .244

Dye rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .291

Thome dh 4 1 2 0 0 2 .253

1-Fields pr-dh 0 1 0 0 0 0 .234

Konerko 1b 4 0 2 0 0 1 .293

Pierzynski c 4 0 1 0 0 1 .293

Beckham 3b 4 0 0 1 0 1 .265

Getz 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .247

Bri.Anderson cf 3 1 0 0 1 0 .234

Totals 34 4 9 3 2 6

Kansas City AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

DeJesus lf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .245

Bloomquist ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .266

Butler 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .289

J.Guillen rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .251

Teahen 3b 3 0 2 0 0 0 .289

Olivo c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .258

Jacobs dh 3 0 0 0 0 1 .226

Callaspo 2b 3 1 1 0 0 0 .298

Maier cf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .237

Totals 30 1 6 1 0 1

WHITE SOX 000 100 111 -- 4 9 0

Kansas City 000 000 001 -- 1 6 0

1-ran for Thome in the 9th.

LOB-- SOX 5, Kansas City 2. 2B--Thome (9), DeJesus (16), Callaspo (21), Maier (7). HR--J.Nix (6), off Chen. RBI--Podsednik (21), J.Nix (11), Beckham (15), DeJesus (35).

Runners left in scoring position-- SOX 3 (Dye, Bri.Anderson 2); Kansas City 2 (DeJesus, Butler).

Runners moved up--J.Nix, Bloomquist. GIDP--Pierzynski, Jacobs.

DP-- SOX 3 (Bri.Anderson, Konerko), (Dye, Konerko), (Getz, J.Nix, Konerko); Kansas City 2 (Maier, Maier, Callaspo), (Bloomquist, Callaspo, Butler).

WHITE SOX IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Buehrle W, 8-2 8.1 6 1 1 0 1 100 3.09

Jenks S, 19-21 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 10 3.14

Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Chen L, 0-2 6 5 2 2 1 5 100 4.38

Mahay 1.1 1 1 1 1 1 23 4.50

J.Wright 1.2 3 1 1 0 0 27 4.17

Chen pitched to 2 batters in the 7th.

Inherited runners-scored--Jenks 1-0, Mahay 2-1, J.Wright 1-0. WP--Mahay. PB--Olivo.

Umpires--Home, Greg Gibson; First, Ted Barrett; Second, Tim McClelland; Third, Andy Fletcher. T--2:25. A--17,964 (38,177).

HOW THEY SCORED

White Sox fourth Nix homered to left on a 2-2 count. One run. White Sox 1, Royals 0.

White Sox seventh Thome doubled. Konerko singled, Thome to third. Mahay pitching. Pierzynski hit into a double play, Thome scored, Konerko out. One run. White Sox 2, Royals 0.

White Sox eighth Getz lined out. Anderson walked. On Mahay's wild pitch, Anderson to second. Podsednik singled, Anderson scored. One run. White Sox 3, Royals 0.

White Sox ninth Thome singled. Fields pinch-running for Thome. Konerko singled, Fields to second. Pierzynski grounded into fielder's choice, Fields to third, Konerko out. Beckham grounded into fielder's choice, Fields scored, Pierzynski out. One run. White Sox 4, Royals 0.

Royals ninth Fields in as designated hitter. Callaspo doubled. Maier flied out. DeJesus doubled, Callaspo scored. One run. White Sox 4, Royals 1.

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