After taking three of four home games from the Boston Red Sox, the Kansas City Royals will host a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox beginning with a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon.
The White Sox will send right-hander Lance Lynn (2-4, 5.87 ERA) to the mound in one of the games, although the club has not specified which one. Chicago has not named a second starter, though right-hander Johnny Cueto (4-5, 2.91 ERA) followed Lynn in the rotation last week and would be on four days of rest Tuesday.
The Royals will have right-hander Brady Singer (4-4, 3.67 ERA) pitch in one of the games. Both clubs have the option of calling up a spot starter to fill the 27th spot on the roster, which is granted for doubleheaders.
The clubs met in Chicago for a three-game series to open the month, with the Royals claiming the opener and the White Sox winning the next two games. In the series finale, Lynn picked up the victory, while Singer took the loss.
Chicago split a four-game series at Texas over the weekend, with the White Sox rolling to an 8-2 victory in Sunday’s finale.
The Royals added to the Red Sox’s recent woes, especially in Sunday’s series finale while coasting to a 13-5 victory. Rookies drove in 12 of the Kansas City runs, including a career-high six RBIs from MJ Melendez. The output included Melendez’s third home run of the series and 13th of the season.
“He’s just got a gift of finding the barrel,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said of Melendez. “When he finds the barrel, it looks different than what most people are able to do.”
Lynn is 7-2 lifetime against the Royals with a 3.30 ERA, his second-best win percentage against any opponent with at least four starts after going 11-3 against the Milwaukee Brewers. His victory over Kansas City in his last start helped the White Sox claim the series.
“Day in and day out, we just have to keep playing hard, put quality at-bats together and make our pitches,” Lynn said of the club, which opened the week two games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins. “When it’s all said and done, and we do that and start winning some games, that’s when the swagger comes back. It’s hard to have swagger when you’re playing (bad).”
The White Sox could elect to give Cueto another day of rest after he pitched eight innings Thursday at Texas.
Singer will be making his third start against the White Sox and fourth appearance overall. At Chicago last week, he allowed four runs on 11 hits in six innings. The big White Sox blow was a three-run home run by Jose Abreu in the third inning that led to Chicago’s 4-1 victory.
Singer is 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA in seven appearances (six starts) in his career against the White Sox.
Left-hander Kris Bubic followed Singer in the rotation last week and would be on a regular four days of rest if he pitched Tuesday, although the Royals have not yet named him a starter in the doubleheader.
The White Sox will be without shortstop Tim Anderson in the first game as he finishes out a two-game suspension for bumping an umpire July 29. The White Sox recalled shortstop Lenyn Sosa from Triple-A Charlotte.
