Hector Noesi (0-2, 5.23 ERA) and Jason Vargas (1-1, 6.75 ERA) start in the second of a two-game series between the Chicago White Sox (6-9) and the Kansas City Royals (12-4) at U.S. Cellular Field. The Royals won the last game 3-2 and Kansas City leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 3:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Apr. 26 and can be seen on FSN-KC and CSN-CHI.
Noesi is 0-2 with a 3.55 ERA in his appearances against the Royals, and goes up against a quality Kansas City offense which is batting .301 this season. Jose Abreu (.305, 7 Rs, 5 HRs, 13 RBIs) continued his strong play Thursday, going 2 for 4 with one RBI. When pitching against the White Sox, Vargas is 1-2 with a 7.14 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts. Lorenzo Cain (.375, 13 Rs, 2 HRs, 12 RBIs, 5 SBs) went 1 for 3 Thursday with one run.
The odds for Chicago and Kansas City are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. Within its division, Chicago has a record of 6-9 SU.
The Royals are 7-3 against fellow AL Central members. The Royals capitalize on their at-bats at a high percentage, leading the league with a .301 team batting average. The Royals are an excellent base stealing team with 15 stolen bases, ranking fourth in the MLB. Kansas City’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL at pitching on the road, with a 3.18 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Royals are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.05 for the season. The Royals have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 7.3 strikeouts per road game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Royals have the edge in the season series, 4-0. Noesi (RHP) will be on the hill against the Royals, who have a 5-3 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC
Notes
The Royals won their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the White Sox are 2-2. The Royals are 2-0 in close games this season.
The Royals are 1-0 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the White Sox are 0-1 in such matchups.
The Royals managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the White Sox who are heading in with a 2-3 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the White Sox are 6-1. The Royals have an 11-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 27th, Chicago is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 52 this season. Kansas City ranks in the top five at fifth with 84.
Chicago and Kansas City both rank near the bottom of the league in walks. Chicago sits at 28th with 33 this season and Kansas City ranks 23rd with 42.
When the White Sox hit at least one home run, they are 5-4. When the Royals hit at least one homer, they have an 8-1 record.
