There appears to be a chance for light rain in Kansas City on Sunday, as the forecasted temperature is 63 degrees. The White Sox and Royals are set to face off at 2:10 PM ET from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. NBCS will be televising this AL Central matchup.
The White Sox are on a six-game losing streak and have an overall record of 27-73, which has them in 5th place in the AL Central. The money line odds have the Royals at -224 compared to the White Sox at +188. Today's over/under line is sitting at 8.5 runs, and Seth Lugo will be starting for the Royals, while the White Sox are going with Drew Thorpe.
Chicago vs. Kansas City Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: White Sox at Royals
- Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
- Date: Sunday, July 21st
- Betting Odds KC -224 | CHW +188 O/U 8.5
White Sox vs Royals Last Game Recap
Thanks to a three-run first inning for the Royals' offense, they cruised to an easy 6-1 win over the White Sox in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were favored at -246 on the money line.
The starting pitching matchup for this game featured Brady Singer for the Royals, and he went seven innings while giving up just one run and striking out seven. Singer picked up a win in the game, while Jonathan Cannon took the loss for the White Sox, going six innings and giving up four earned runs.
Kansas City got a big performance from Bobby Witt Jr., as he went 3/4 with a run scored and an RBI. Both Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe each drove in two for the Royals' offense.
White Sox Preview
Chicago has struggled mightily this season, as they currently sit in 5th place in the AL Central with a 27-73 record. They have lost six straight games and are 8-27 against divisional opponents. The White Sox have a 6-23-2 series record this season and have dropped four consecutive series.
On the run line, the White Sox are 44-56, with a 20-29 record on the road. Their games have averaged 8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 44-52. Heading into today's game, the White Sox have a two-game under streak, and their O/U record with an 8.5-run total line is 12-13.
Chicago is sending right-hander Drew Thorpe to the mound today vs. the Royals. He has made six starts this year and has a record of 3-1 with a 3.58 ERA. Thorpe's WHIP for the season is currently 1.04. In his 32 2/3 innings of work, he has issued 4.13 walks per nine innings compared to 5.23 strikeouts. Thorpe has turned in four quality starts this year. His last outing came vs. the Twins, where he went six innings, giving up two earned runs, and finished with a no-decision. Before that, he had won three straight starts.
Chicago has been one of the worst offensive teams in the league this season, as they are dead last in both on-base percentage and OPS. As a team, they are averaging just 3.2 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. This lack of run production has been a consistent issue for the White Sox, as they are averaging just 3.1 runs per game at home and 3.2 on the road.
Paul DeJong and Luis Robert Jr. are both tied for 2nd on the team with 11 home runs this season, but DeJong is just batting .224, and Robert Jr. is hitting .232. Andrew Vaughn is batting .235 and leads the team with 43 RBIs. Martín Maldonado has been hot of late, going 3/6 with two homers over his last three games and is currently on a five-game hitting streak.
Royals Preview
As favorites at home, the Royals have a 19-7 record straight up and 23-20 against the run line. Overall, they are 57-42 against the run line and have covered it in four straight games when favored. The Royals are 6-4 in their last 10 games and have won two in a row.
Kansas City is currently six games behind the Guardians in the AL Central, with an overall record of 54-45. They have an 18-10 record against divisional opponents this season. The O/U line for today's game is set at 8.5 runs, and the Royals' games have averaged 8.5 runs per game this season. So far, they have gone over the total in 10 of 29 games with an 8.5 run line.
Seth Lugo gets the start for the Royals today vs. the White Sox and comes in with a record of 11-4 and an ERA of 2.48. This year, he has made 20 starts, and opponents are batting .226 vs. Lugo this year. In his 20 appearances, Lugo has turned in 15 quality starts and is averaging 8.22 strikeouts per nine innings. Lugo's last outing came vs. the Red Sox, where he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. At home, they have been even better, putting up 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .247, which is 8th in the league, and have the fewest strikeouts per game in the league. Kansas City's offense has been led by Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez, who are both batting over .280 and have 17 homers apiece.
Witt Jr. has been especially hot of late, going 11/23 in his last six games, with two homers and five RBIs. He is also on a three-game hitting streak. MJ Melendez has also gone deep twice in his last four games, but he is batting just .196 for the season.
White Sox vs. Royals Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs -106
Our predicted final score for this White Sox vs. Royals matchup is a 5-4 win for the Royals. However, with the Royals being -224 on the money line, we would recommend taking the over at 8.5 runs, as we see the Royals winning by just one run.
Looking at today's starters, Seth Lugo is projected to finish with five strikeouts compared to Drew Thorpe with four. Lugo is also predicted to finish with more hits allowed than Thorpe.
Offensively, the Royals are projected to finish with nine hits compared to the White Sox with eight. If you're looking for some player props, a White Sox player to finish with a home run could be a good bet, as the Royals are projected to finish with the sixth-fewest home runs in the league today.
