Chicago @ Kansas City preview
Kauffman Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 21, 2010 ) Chi. White Sox 5, Kansas City 6
The Chicago White Sox will look to make up ground in the AL Central when they play a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
The White Sox currently sit 4 1/2 games behind the front-running Minnesota Twins in the division. Now, thanks to a downpour that postponed Friday's game in the bottom of the first, Chicago will play two against Kansas City.
Since starting pitchers Sean O'Sullivan and Edwin Jackson both took the mound, neither will be available for Saturday's festivities.
The White Sox are expected to start Tony Pena in the nightcap, while Bryan Bullington, who recorded his first major league win in his last outing, will start for the Royals.
Bullington was selected by Pittsburgh with the No. 1 pick in the 2002 amateur draft, but has never been able to stick with a major league team. The 29-year-old right-hander went into Sunday's start against the New York Yankees with an 0-7 record in 19 appearances.
The hurler pitched like an ace against the defending World Series champions. He retired the first 13 batters and held the Yankees to two hits in eight shutout innings. Bullington struck out five, walked one and threw 96 pitches.
Bullington made three relief appearances for the Royals in May, but was sent to Omaha. He was called back up late last month for two more relief appearances before replacing the struggling Brian Bannister in the rotation.
He lost his first start to the Angels, but pitched well enough - three runs and five hits in six innings - to get another start.
For his part, Pena will earn his first career start if he gets the call. The 28-year-old has made 285 career appearances during his career.
He last pitched on Thursday, tossing one-third of an inning as the White Sox cruised to a 1-0 victory over the Twins.
In the opener of the doubleheader, Chicago's Freddy Garcia will be opposed by Philip Humber, who will make his first major league start for Kansas City.
Garcia has struggled for over a month. He has won only once since July 7 - a span of six starts - and has been knocked around, allowing 45 hits and 23 earned runs in 27 1/3 innings.
The veteran right-hander defeated the Royals on May 5 at Kauffman Stadium. He gave up 10 hits in six innings, but allowed only two runs. Garica is 9-13 in his career against Kansas City.
Kansas City called up Humber from Triple-A Omaha on Aug. 5. The right-hander pitched two scoreless innings in relief against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Aug. 10. Humber was 5-6 record with a 4.47 ERA in 21 games - 20 starts - at Omaha.
Humber was traded from the New York Mets to the Minnesota Twins as part of the Johan Santana deal in 2008.