Chicago @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 11, 2016 ) Kansas City 2, Chi. White Sox 0

The Kansas City Royals will try to pick up the pieces from an embarrassing and extremely damaging series when they open a four-game set with the visiting Chicago White Sox on Friday. Entering the week needing plenty of wins to remain a factor in the American League wild-card chase, the Royals dropped four straight at home to lowly Oakland by a combined score of 43-12, including a 14-5 setback on Thursday.

Kansas City's swoon has put it in seventh place in the wild-card standings with 16 games to play. The White Sox have won six of their last nine after rallying for a 2-1 win over Cleveland on Thursday, but two of their losses in that span came in a three-game series at home against Kansas City last weekend. That gave the Royals an 11-4 lead in the season series and a 69-39 advantage over the last six years. Chris Sale was the losing pitcher for Chicago in the finale of that set despite striking out 12 and allowing two runs in eight solid innings, and he will oppose Ian Kennedy on Friday for the second time in five days.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Chris Sale (15-8, 3.03 ERA) vs. Royals RH Ian Kennedy (11-9, 3.62)

Sale is finishing with a flourish as he makes a bid for his first Cy Young Award, posting a 1.10 ERA over his last five starts and lasting at least eight innings in each of them. He has recorded 48 strikeouts in 41 innings during that stretch but has given up five home runs, including two in each of his last two turns. Eric Hosmer hit one of those homers on Sunday and is batting .400 with three blasts against Sale, who is 8-10 with a 3.03 ERA lifetime versus the Royals.

Kennedy will reach the 30-start mark for the seventh straight season and has won five consecutive decisions, including his victory opposite Sale last time out. The 31-year-old worked six scoreless innings in that one and tied his season best by allowing one hit as he lowered his ERA to 3.14 since the All-Star break. Kennedy is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in four career starts against Chicago.

WALK-OFFS

1. White Sox 1B Jose Abreu homered Thursday and has recorded 21 RBIs this month.

2. Kansas City is 39-21 against division rivals while Chicago is 28-38.

3. Royals C Salvador Perez is 2-for-18 with five strikeouts since returning from a wrist injury.

PREDICTION: White Sox 3, Royals 2