Royals at White Sox
The Kansas City Royals are running out of time - and games - in their bid for the second wild card in the American League. Kansas City continues its 11-game road trip Friday with the first of three contests against the host Chicago White Sox but trails Minnesota by 3 1/2 games with only 10 remaining in the regular season.
The Royals have won two straight following a 1-5 skid but also need to leapfrog Texas and the Los Angeles Angels, making their task even more daunting. "It's a tough road ahead of us, but I think we can do it," reliever Mike Minor, who got the final three outs in Thursday's 1-0 win in Toronto, told reporters. Melky Cabrera, who was acquired from the White Sox at the trade deadline, recorded three hits on Thursday but was 0-for-10 against Chicago last week. The White Sox have endured five losing streaks of at least five games since the All-Star break but have split 16 meetings with the Royals this season after taking two of three in Kansas City last week.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jason Hammel (8-12, 5.05 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Reynaldo López (2-3, 4.84)
Hammel will try to avoid matching his career high for losses in a season and end a two-start skid, during which he was knocked around for 12 runs and 21 hits over 9 1/3 innings in setbacks against Cleveland and the White Sox. He lasted only 3 1/3 frames against Chicago on Sept. 11 and has permitted fewer than three runs only twice in his last 11 starts. Jose Abreu is 3-for-6 against Hammel.
Lopez will make his seventh start of the season - and third against Kansas City since the highly touted pitcher was promoted from the minors in early August. The 23-year-old Dominican has won his last two starts and notched his first victory of the year by holding the Royals to three runs in six innings on Sept. 11. He went six innings against the Royals one month earlier and gave up two runs.
WALK-OFFS
1. Royals C Salvador Perez is 8-for-19 during his five-game hitting streak.
2. White Sox RF Avisail Garcia went 6-for-14 in the last series versus Kansas City.
3. Cabrera is 7-for-18 over his last five contests.