Kansas City @ Chicago preview
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Last Meeting ( Sep 10, 2010 ) Kansas City 3, Chi. White Sox 4
The Chicago White Sox are inching their way back into the AL Central race as they head into Saturday’s matchup with the Kansas City Royals.
With a 4-3 win over the Royals on Friday night, the White Sox (78-63) pulled within five games of the AL-Central leading Minnesota Twins.
Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski laced a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to score the game-tying and winning runs.
The White Sox also plated three unearned runs thanks to a tough night from Kansas City shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, who had three errors in the loss. The Royals (57-83) lead the American League with 106 errors on the year and have made eight in their last seven games heading into Saturday’s matchup.
It has been hard for Chicago to make up much ground on Minnesota since the Twins' hot streak after the All-Star break, but the White Sox head into Saturday’s game having won eight of their last 12 games and 26 of their last 35 home games.
Friday’s win improved Chicago’s division record to an unflattering 29-32 on the year. The White Sox are now 9-7 against the Royals this season, but are 6-1 against Kansas City at Comerica Park.
The White Sox look to Edwin Jackson (9-11, 4.39 ERA) to keep it going. The 6-foot-3 right-hander is 3-0 in six starts since coming over from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline. Jackson is coming off his worst outing since the trade after he allowed four runs and nine hits while striking out six in a 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
That strikeout tally was fewer than we’ve come to expect from him in a White Sox uniform. Jackson had at least 10 strikeouts in his three previous trips to the hill.
The Kansas City Royals, who are 5-21 in their last 26 road games, will counter with Kyle Davies on Saturday. The right-hander is coming off a 2-1 win over Detroit in which he allowed only three hits and a single earned run over six innings.
He threw well in the start before that too, going 8 1/3 innings in a 3-0 loss to Texas. This will be Davies’ first start against the White Sox this season, but he comes into the outing with a 2-2 record and a 5.40 ERA in 38 1/3 career innings against Chicago.