Kansas City @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2018 ) Kansas City 3, Chi. White Sox 9

The Chicago White Sox seek their second four-game winning streak of the month when they host the Kansas City Royals on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game series. Chicago, which won four straight from Aug. 2-5 - a string that began versus Kansas City, overcame an early three-run deficit Friday to post a 9-3 victory.

Jose Abreu and Nicky Delmonico belted three-run homers during a seven-run seventh inning while Tim Anderson finished a blast shy of the cycle and scored three times for the White Sox, who lost two of three from July 31-Aug. 2 during the Royals' last visit to the Windy City. Delmonico finished with a career-high five RBIs after registering 11 in his first 57 games this year while Abreu moved within three homers and 24 RBIs of joining Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols as the only players to record at least 25 blasts and 100 RBIs in each of their first five major-league seasons. Whit Merrifield went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Alcides Escobar also notched two of the six hits registered by Kansas City, which has lost five straight on the road. Merrifield enters Saturday with a six-game hitting streak during which he has recorded three multi-hit performances.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, NBCS Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Brad Keller (5-5, 3.40 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Dylan Covey (4-9, 6.06)

Keller is coming off his third win in four decisions, a triumph over Toronto on Monday in which he allowed one run and four hits over seven innings. The 23-year-old rookie from Georgia, who joined the rotation on May 30, has worked at least six frames in four of his last five outings and given up only three homers in his 13 turns. Keller has made two starts and three relief appearances against Chicago, going 0-1 while yielding eight runs on 15 hits and seven walks over 12 innings.

Covey has lost eight of his last nine decisions and each of his last four starts, surrendering 23 runs and 28 hits over 18 innings during the losing streak. The 27-year-old Californian, who will be making his fourth straight start at home, has seen his ERA spike from 4.95 to 6.06 over those four setbacks. Covey has yet to defeat Kansas City in his brief career, going 0-5 with a 6.34 ERA in six starts - including an 0-2 record and 6.97 mark in two turns this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. The White Sox activated OF Leury Garcia (hamstring), who went 1-for-3 and scored a run in the series opener, from the 10-day disabled list.

2. Kansas City C Salvador Perez drove in a run Friday, giving him 60 RBIs for the sixth consecutive season.

3. Chicago C Welington Castillo, who is eligible to return from his 80-game suspension on Thursday, went 1-for-4 in the opener of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.

PREDICTION: Royals 8, White Sox 3