Royals turn to Ventura to protect season's flawless record against White Sox
If the Chicago White Sox are to become serious contenders in the AL Central, they likely must find a way to end their struggles against the Kansas City Royals.
Looking to avenge a season-opening sweep at the hands of the reigning AL champs, Chris Sale and the White Sox open a four-game home set against the Royals on Thursday night.
Eager to begin after a busy offseason of personnel changes, Chicago (6-8) was outscored 21-7 while opening with three losses at Kansas City. The White Sox have averaged 2.6 runs while losing 14 of 17 to the Royals, and 2.1 in dropping 15 of the last 18 meetings at home.
Kansas City (11-4) returns to Chicago, where it clinched the franchise's first playoff berth in 29 years with a 3-1 victory over the White Sox on Sept. 26.
"(The Royals) play the game hard," Chicago center fielder Adam Eaton told MLB's official website.
After taking of two three from Cleveland, the White Sox have some momentum while trying to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat to the Royals.
"You're doing something right," Eaton said after Wednesday's 6-0 victory. "Hopefully that can continue."
A fractured right foot prevented Sale (2-0, 2.25 ERA) from opening at Kansas City, but he'll try to win his first three starts for a second straight season. The left-hander, who has struck out 14 and walked two over 12 innings, yielded two runs in six innings of a 12-3 win at Detroit on Saturday.
"I feel great," he said.
Though Sale is 6-6 in 13 starts against the Royals, he's posted a 2.61 ERA and received an average 2.31 runs of support. He improved to 4-3 at home versus Kansas City and dropped his ERA to 2.25 ERA after allowing a run in seven innings of a 3-1 victory July 21 in his only 2014 series start at U.S. Cellular Field.
The Royals, meanwhile, look to bounce back after falling 3-0 to Minnesota on Wednesday. Alcides Escobar had two of the six hits for Kansas City, which ranks among the major league leaders with 81 runs but was blanked for the second time in five games.
Escobar is hitting .444 with 11 runs scored in his last nine games versus Chicago, and .400 (18 for 45) against Sale.
Kansas City's Yordano Ventura (2-1, 4.80) pitched six-plus innings and allowed Jose Abreu's homer in the seventh and three other hits before leaving with a finger cramp in the season-opening 10-1 victory over Chicago.
Ventura exited his next start because of cramping in his calf and was ejected in the fourth inning of Saturday's 5-0 loss to Oakland for hitting Brett Lawrie just above the left elbow - likely in retaliation for an incident between the teams the previous night. The right-hander, who allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings, was fined by MLB but not suspended.
"He's got some learning to do," manager Ned Yost said about Ventura, who turns 24 in June. "But you got to understand, he's a young guy. And I wouldn't say he's emotional, but he's got a real edge to him."
Abreu's home run is his only hit in five at-bats versus Ventura, but he's homered in back-to-back games and is 9 for 21 with 10 RBIs in the last five contests.
