Fresh off their seventh walk-off win of the year, which followed the second-biggest win margin in team history, the White Sox try to sweep the Royals out of the palace this afternoon and send them back to Kansas City, where the song says everything is up to date, but the baseball team isn’t.
Facing a Royals lineup that has only managed one run per game so far this series will be lefty Anthony Kay, who has had a very up-and-down June, being belted around by the Yankees and Phillies but dominating not just the very weak-hitting Tigers and Guardians but also the mighty Dodgers. For the season, Kay has an excellent 6-2 record but a meh 4.24 ERA and very poor 5.06 FIP and 1.389 WHIP.
The Royals counter with righty Luinder Avila, who sports a terrible 5.06 ERA, largely because he has trouble figuring out where home plate is, having walked 27 in 42 2/3 innings. Avila has been good his last two times out, holding the Rays and Nationals to one run each, but was crushed by the Astros the game before that, giving up eight runs before being pulled in the first inning.
Avila faces a White Sox lineup which has only had three at-bats against him, those coming on May 14 when he came into the game in relief.
Kay gave faced K.C. in both April and May. Lane Thomas (2-for-6) and Bobby Witt Jr. (2-for-5) hit him well, Salvador Pérez (1-for-7) didn’t.
First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Central, on a sunny and humid day with temps in the mid-70s and wind in from left around 10 mph. Usual broadcast suspects.