Kansas City @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 29, 2018 ) Chi. White Sox 4, Kansas City 5

The Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox will enter the All-Star break with two of the three worst records in baseball after the conclusion of their three-game series, which begins Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Chicago (31-61) has won five of the first seven of 19 meetings this season, part of the reason why it is five games ahead of Kansas City (26-66) in the battle to avoid last place in the American League Central.

The Royals have dropped 11 of their last 12 games after Wednesday's 8-5 loss to Minnesota while the White Sox snapped a six-game slide with a 4-0 victory over St. Louis the same day. There are a handful of players on each team who could be dealt prior to the July 31 trade deadline, but it appears Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas will certainly be moved. Moustakas, who has been used at first base recently in an effort to increase his value, has team highs of 19 home runs and 58 RBIs after going deep twice Wednesday as part of a three-hit day. Chicago's James Shields makes what could be one of his final starts in a White Sox uniform and opposes rookie Brad Keller, who had a string of three straight quality starts snapped in his last outing.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, WGN (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Brad Keller (2-3, 2.52 ERA) vs. White Sox RH James Shields (3-10, 4.53)

Keller allowed career highs of four runs and five walks, and six hits while striking out two in 4 2/3 innings of a 15-4 loss to Boston on Saturday in his seventh career start. The Georgian, who turns 23 on July 27, is 1-2 with a 2.82 ERA as a starter and 1-1, 2.01 in 21 relief appearances. In 38 1/3 innings as a starter, Keller has yielded 36 hits and 16 walks with 22 strikeouts.

Shields yielded season highs of eight runs and 10 hits while striking out a season-high nine in 5 2/3 innings of a 12-6 loss at Houston on Saturday. The 36-year-old Californian posted a 3.15 ERA in his previous 10 starts, presenting himself as a potentially attractive pickup for a contender prior to the trade deadline. Moustakas is 6-for-13 with a home run while Lucas Duda -- another player who could be dealt -- has two homers in 12 at-bats versus Shields, who is 8-2 with a 4.18 ERA in 14 starts versus Kansas City after permitting four runs in a 14-7 loss on Opening Day.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals 2B Whit Merrifield (.302) went 0-for-4 on Wednesday to snap a 12-game hitting streak in which he was 23-for-50.

2. White Sox 1B Jose Abreu (.253, 12 home runs, team-high 51 RBIs), an All-Star for the second time, is 2-for-31 in his last nine games.

3. Kansas City has the worst ERA in the majors at 5.35 with the starters at 5.36 and the relievers at 5.34.

PREDICTION: White Sox 3, Royals 2