Royals at White Sox
The Kansas City Royals are in a tailspin that has them back at the .500 mark, but they have a chance to turn things around with a pair of last-place clubs up next on the schedule. Coming off a four-game, home-and-home sweep by in-state rival St. Louis, the Royals continue their eight-game road trip against the Chicago White Sox on Friday.
Kansas City has lost four in a row and nine of 11 to surrender second place in the American League Central to Minnesota while remaining four games behind division-leading Cleveland. Lorenzo Cain went 7-for-10 in the two games in St. Louis, but the Royals were battered for 37 runs in the four-game set. Rookie Yoan Moncada hit a tying homer in the ninth inning before delivering a walk-off single in the 11th as the White Sox completed a three-game sweep of AL-leading Houston. Moncada is expected to be a key piece of Chicago's rebuilding along with right-hander Reynaldo Lopez, who makes his season debut in the series opener.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Danny Duffy (7-7, 3.48 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Reynaldo Lopez (2016: 5-3, 4.91)
After turning in back-to-back strong starts on the road, Duffy was roughed up for seven runs - three earned - on three homers in a loss to Seattle in his last outing. He yielded two runs in 13 2/3 innings at Baltimore and Detroit in his previous two turns and lost to Texas on July 15 despite giving up one run over 8 1/3 frames. Yolmer Sanchez is 9-for-20 and Jose Abreu has gone 13-for-37 against Duffy.
Lopez, who made 11 appearances (six starts) as a rookie with Washington last year, was acquired in the deal that sent Adam Eaton to the Nationals. The 23-year-old Dominican made 22 starts this season for Triple-A Charlotte, logging a 7-6 record and 3.79 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 121 innings. Right-handed batters hit .353 against Lopez last year, but he held left-handers to .193.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cain has gone 18-for-34 over his last eight games.
2. Moncada is 9-for-21 during his six-game hitting streak.
3. Kansas City has dropped five straight on the road.