Kansas City @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 14, 2018 ) Kansas City 5, Chi. White Sox 0

The Kansas City Royals are guaranteed to head into the All-Star break with the worst record in the American League Central but have a chance to finish out the first half with rare back-to-back wins. The Royals will try to secure consecutive victories for the first time since May 29-30 when they visit the Chicago White Sox for the finale of a three-game series on Sunday.

Kansas City ensured that it would not drop below the Baltimore Orioles (27-69) in the race to avoid the worst record in baseball by winning for the second time in 14 games with a 5-0 triumph on Saturday. The Royals (26-67) are searching for positives in their disappointing first half and may have found one in right fielder Jorge Bonifacio, who belted a home run and added a triple Saturday to give himself six extra-base hits during a seven-game hitting streak. The White Sox, who took the series opener 9-6 on Friday, fell for the seventh time in the last nine games with Saturday's setback and head west for seven games against Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels after the break. Chicago will send Lucas Giolito to the mound on Sunday while Kansas City counters with fellow right-hander Burch Smith.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, NBCS Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Burch Smith (0-0, 5.83 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Lucas Giolito (5-8, 6.59)

Smith will start but be limited to 50 to 60 pitches as Kansas City uses a bullpen day to cover for a rotation that is currently missing Ian Kennedy (oblique) and Jakob Junis (back). The native Texan last pitched at Minnesota on Wednesday and was knocked around for four runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. That effort snapped a string of five straight scoreless appearances for the 28-year-old, who surrendered a combined two runs in 2 2/3 innings during two previous appearances against Chicago.

Giolito is ready to put an inconsistent first half behind him by going into the break with back-to-back solid outings. The 23-year-old posted quality starts in two of his last three turns, including a 7 1/3-inning effort at Houston last Sunday in which he held the defending champions to two runs on three hits and three walks. Giolito made two starts against Kansas City in the first month of the season and surrendered a combined five runs on 10 hits and six walks in 11 2/3 innings while going 1-0.

WALK-OFFS

1. White Sox 2B Yoan Moncada (knee) left Saturday's game and is day-to-day.

2. Royals 2B Whit Merrifield reached base safely in each of his last 15 contests.

3. Chicago DH Matt Davidson is 2-for-24 over his last seven games.

PREDICTION: White Sox 10, Royals 5