Kansas City @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2011 ) Kansas City 11, Chi. White Sox 1

THE STORY: With Kansas City's young lineup looking more impressive by the day, the Royals are hoping some of their up-and-coming pitchers will do the same. Everett Teaford has fit the bill, and he looks for his third win in as many starts Friday when the Royals resume their weekend series with the host Chicago White Sox. Teaford beat division-rival Chicago in his last start a week ago. He'll square off against John Danks in a battle of lefthanders.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSN (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Everett Teaford (2-0, 2.54 ERA) vs. White Sox LH John Danks (7-12, 4.36 ERA).

After beginning his career with 23 relief appearances, Teaford was given his first starting assignment on Sept. 11 and thrived, throwing five shutout innings against Seattle. The 2006 12th-round pick has surrendered just one run in 11 innings as a starter as he auditions for a spot in the 2012 rotation. The diminutive southpaw has yet to allow a run on the road this season.

Danks is arbitration-eligible this offseason, but hasn't done much to bolster his stock in what has been a difficult campaign. A 15-game winner in 2010, Danks will finish with his lowest victory total since his rookie season. The 26-year-old has been particularly abysmal of late, going 1-3 with a 9.14 ERA in four starts since throwing a complete-game shutout against Seattle.

ABOUT THE ROYALS (69-88): Kansas City hitters are laying waste to opposing pitchers down the stretch. The Royals have scored a whopping 60 runs over their last eight games, providing long-suffering fans with reason for hope as yet another losing season winds down. Jeff Francoeur, whose career has been resurrected in Missouri, reached the 20-homer plateau Friday night for the first time since 2006. Rookie Eric Hosmer also went deep in the series-opening victory and finished 2-for-5 to bump his average to .300. He's batting an even .500 (19-for-38) during an eight-game hitting streak, and is 3-for-5 lifetime against Danks. Kansas City as a team is hitting just .226 vs. the veteran lefty, with zero home runs in 133 at-bats.

ABOUT THE WHITE SOX (76-81): With their playoff hopes dashed, the White Sox look like a team already looking ahead to its offseason plans. Chicago has been outscored 22-3 in consecutive losses to AL Central rivals Cleveland and Kansas City, all but squashing any chance of passing the Indians for second place in the division. Paul Konerko provided the lone bright spot in Friday's trouncing, hitting his 31st home run of the season in the seventh inning. That leaves the 35-year-old just four shy of 400 for his career, which would make him the ninth active player to reach the plateau. Teammate Adam Dunn is 35 away from the 400 mark, but has just 11 this season to go along with a league-worst .164 average and 168 strikeouts.

FINAL PITCH: "People, everywhere I go, they ask me the same questions, and they got mad at me because I answer. Right now I’m at the point like ‘Hey man, whatever it is, it is.’ If I’m back here, good. If I’m not, good. That’s the way it is. Whatever happens, happens." - White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on his future with the club.