Kansas City @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 29, 2015 ) Kansas City 2, Chi. White Sox 4

The Kansas City Royals clinched the American League Central last week but are in danger of falling out of the race for home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The Royals seek their second win in six opportunities on Wednesday, when they continue a three-game set in Chicago against the White Sox.

Kansas City claimed its first division title since 1985 with a 10-4 rout of Seattle on Thursday, but its offense has been virtually nonexistent since, totaling 10 runs while dropping two of three to Cleveland, a makeup game versus the Chicago Cubs and the opener of this series. As a result, the Royals (90-67) quickly have fallen 1 ½ games behind the likely AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays (91-65) for the best record in the AL. The White Sox have won four straight against Kansas City after dropping 10 of the first 13 meetings in the season series. Adam Eaton continued to have his way with AL Central pitching, going 2-for-4 in the opener – including a two-run homer – to raise his average to .366 over the White Sox’s last 11 division games.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.65 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Jose Quintana (9-10, 3.38)
Volquez’s winless streak hit three starts following Friday’s 6-0 loss to Cleveland after he yielded three runs in six frames for the second consecutive outing. The 32-year-old Dominican is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in five turns this month and has recorded only one victory in his last six trips to the mound on the road, where he is 5-5 with a 3.82 ERA. Volquez pitched seven strong innings to get the win at home versus the White Sox on Aug. 7, improving to 2-2 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts against them this season.
Quintana continued his remarkable September with a no-decision at Detroit on Sept. 22, allowing one run and eight hits over seven innings to remain unbeaten in his last seven outings. The 26-year-old Colombian is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA this month, working at least seven innings in three of those four turns while allowing fewer than two earned runs each time. Quintana has struggled in 17 career starts versus the Royals, however, going 1-6 with a 4.38 ERA – picking up the lone victory with seven scoreless frames at Kansas City on Sept. 5.

WALK-OFFS
1. Eaton, who is 10-for-19 with three home runs and six RBIs during the White Sox’s winning streak versus the Royals, has recorded four blasts and 11 RBIs in the season series – each total his highest against any opponent in 2015.
2. Half of Kansas City DH Kendrys Morales’ 22 home runs have come with two outs, while his 53 two-out RBIs are a franchise record.
3. Chicago 1B/DH Jose Abreu is one homer and two RBIs shy of joining Albert Pujols as the only players in major-league history to reach 30 and 100, respectively, in each of their first two seasons.

PREDICTION: White Sox 4, Royals 3