KANSAS CITY ROYALS NOTES:
BULLPEN DAY DUB: Seven different Royals pitchers contributed to a 4-3 win in San Diego on Wednesday to clinch their third series victory of the season and second in their last three sets…Carlos Hernández had 4 strikeouts over 2.0 scoreless innings and Mike Mayers—who was selected from Omaha before the game— allowed 1 run over 2.2 innings in his Royals debut…with the game tied at 1-1 in the 6th, Vinnie Pasquantino hit a go-ahead, 2-run home run off Yu Darvish and Maikel Garcia added an RBI double later in the inning en route to a career-high-tying 3-hit game…Josh Taylor was charged with 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th, but the trio of Aroldis Chapman, Taylor Clarke and Scott Barlow combined for 3.0 scoreless frames for the 2nd consecutive game to secure the series win and mark Kansas City’s 1st series-deciding victory of the season.
The Royals seven pitchers combined for 9 walks and 13 strikeouts, both of which fell 1 shy of the team’s season high…Wednesday marked just the 33rd game in franchise history in which Royals pitchers issued 9 walks and won, and it was their 1st such win since they did it twice within a span of 11 days in April 2021, including their 14-10 Opening Day win over the Rangers and a 4-3 win in 11 innings at the White Sox.
Royals pitchers held the Padres to 4-for-23 (.174) with runners in scoring position during the 3-game set.
ROSTER MOVES: The Royals announced today that right-handed pitcher Brad Keller has been placed on the 15-day Injured List (retroactive to May 16) with right shoulder impingement syndrome…in a corresponding move, right hander Max Castillo has been recalled from Triple-A Omaha…Castillo was optioned earlier this week after throwing 122 pitches in a four-day span, most recently pitching 2.1 scoreless innings on Monday night in San Diego…in 3 appearances with the Royals this season, Castillo owns a 2.89 ERA (3 ER in 9.1 IP).
ROYALS ON THE MEND: In his 4th rehab start and 3rd with Triple-A Omaha, left hander Daniel Lynch allowed 5 runs on 9 hits and no walks in 3.2 innings on Wednesday, with 8 strikeouts…he’s allowed 9 runs on 20 hits in 14.1 innings over his 4 rehab starts, but has issued only 4 walks with 19 strikeouts…Lynch has not pitched in the big leagues this season, after being placed on the 15-day IL on March 30 with a left rotator cuff strain.
Nicky Lopez went 2-for-5 with a double last night in his 2nd rehab game with Triple-A Omaha, and played the entire game at shortstop…Lopez was placed on the 10-day IL on May 2 with appendicitis.
Drew Waters, who suffered a strained left oblique during the first week of Spring Training, is 6-for-32 in 8 rehab games with Omaha…that includes a 4-hit, 2-RBI game on Wednesday and a 1-for-4 game last night.
MAY FLOWERS: The Royals have won back-to-back games for the fourth time and tonight they’re seeking their 3rd straight win for the first time this season…they are 7-9 through 16 games in the month of May, already matching their win total from all of March and April, when they went 7-22 in 29 games…the Royals are 6-5 in their last 11 games—including 3 wins over the White Sox in Kansas City last week—after starting the season 8-26.
The Royals offense has blossomed in the month of May, and that’s still true even after they were held to 9 runs over 3 games in San Diego…after a slow start in March/April which saw the Royals rank among the worst teams in the Majors in several offensive categories, including 29th in runs per game (3.3) and 30th in OPS (.624), the Royals have been among the best offenses in the league since the calendar flipped to May…they rank 4th in the Majors in May in extra-base hits (61), 7th in slugging percentage (.468), 8th in OPS (.797), 9th in runs per game (5.4), and 10th in both average (.259) and on-base percentage (.330).
In 16 games this month, the Royals rank 6th in the Majors with 24 home runs, already 4 more HR than the 20 they hit in 29 games during March/April…they hit only 1 HR in the 3-game series in San Diego, after beginning the month with 13 straight games with a HR, which marked the 3rd-longest streak in the Majors this season and the 2nd-longest HR streak in Royals history, trailing a 15-game run from April 6-22, 2001.
Royals catchers have hit 12 home runs this season, the most of any position on the team and the highest total at the catcher position in the Majors, 2 more than the Athletics and Braves (10 each)…Salvador Perez leads the Royals with 9 home runs, including 8 as a catcher…MJ Melendez has homered once as a catcher and Freddy Fermin has 3 home runs in 9 games (6 starts) as a catcher since his May 2 recall.
Vinnie Pasquantino has 18 career HR, 12 of which have given the Royals a lead (66.7%), including 5 of his 8 HR this season…his 5 go-ahead HR in 2023 are only 2 behind Aaron Judge for the Major League lead.
WHAT A RELIEF!: The bullpen continued its strong run in Wednesday’s win in San Diego, in which six relievers combined to allow 3 runs over 7.0 innings, with 9 strikeouts…over the last 11 games, Royals relievers have recorded a 2.74 ERA (15 ER in 49.1 IP), .213 opponents’ average (37-for-174) and 62 strikeouts (11.3 K/9)… ten different pitchers have thrown a pitch in relief during this 11-game run, including Carlos Hernández, who started Wednesday’s win in San Diego as the opener and pitched 2.0 scoreless innings to mark his 8th scoreless outing in his last 10, a stretch in which he’s pitched to a 1.32 ERA (2 ER in 13.2 IP) and .167 opponents’ average (8-for-48) with a whopping 20 strikeouts (13.2 K/9), only 4 walks (2.6 BB/9) and no home runs allowed.
Taylor Clarke pitched a scoreless 8th inning on Wednesday to run his scoreless streak to 7.1 innings over 6 appearances, during which he’s held opponents to a .200 average (5-for-25) with 11 strikeouts.
Scott Barlow has retired 20 of his last 21 batters, and the only exception during that stretch was a single by Oakland’s JJ Bleday on May 7…he’s recorded 10.2 scoreless innings over his last 10 outings since April 22, a stretch in which he has 5 saves, a .111 opponents’ average (4-for-36) and 16 strikeouts…his save on Wednesday was the 49th in his career, tying him with Wade Davis and Steve Farr for 9th in Royals history.
Royals relievers lead the Majors with 207 strikeouts and a 10.9 K/9, which marks a big improvement over last year, when the Royals bullpen ranked 25th in the Majors with 552 strikeouts and 21st with an 8.5 K/9.
FOUR SCORE: The Royals are 12-11 this season when they score at least 4 runs, including 6-1 in their last 7 such games, after starting the season 6-10…their .522 win percentage when they score 4 runs—which is actually 2nd worst in the Majors—is more than 400 points higher than their 2-20 record (.091) when they score fewer than 4 runs, which is the 4th-worst record in the Majors, better than the Padres (2-21), Red Sox (1-12) and A’s (1-26).
The Royals are 6-5 in 1-run games this season and their .545 win percentage is 5th best in the American League…each of their last 3 wins have been by 1 run, including each of their last 2 games in San Diego.
VS. WHITE SOX: The Royals are visiting the White Sox this weekend for the first time this season, after hosting them in Kansas City last week, where they won 3 of 4 games and outscored the Sox 27-13…the Royals are 23-19 vs. the White Sox since the start of 2021, but they’re seeking their first series win here since April 2022.
After playing 7 games over a 14-day span, these teams won’t see each other again until September.
ON DECK: Yesterday’s off day ended a stretch in which the Royals played 26 games in 27 days, and was their first break in the schedule since May 1…yesterday also marked their first of four off days over a 15-day span, including one next Thursday at home and consecutive off days at home on May 31 and June 1, which will mark the first time the Royals will have scheduled back-to-back off days since April 6-7, 2016.
The Royals next two series, including this weekend in Chicago and a 3-game set next week in Kansas City vs. Detroit, will mark their only two American League opponents over a stretch of eight series, which includes upcoming sets with the Nationals, Cardinals, Rockies and Marlins.
TONIGHT’S STARTERS: RHP ZACK GREINKE (1-4, 5.01)
ZACK GREINKE is making his 10th start of the season and 524th of his career tonight vs. the White Sox, 3 starts behind Jerry Koosman and Hall of Famer Jack Morris for 37th on the all-time starts list…it’s his 33rd career appearance (30th start) vs. the White Sox and 2nd in two weeks…Greinke, now in his 20th season in the Majors, is a six-time All-Star, a six-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner and was named the American League Cy Young Award winner in 2009 with the Royals.
He is one of three pitchers in Major League history with at least six Rawlings Gold Gloves and six All-Star selections, along with Greg Maddux and Bob Gibson.
Among active pitchers, Greinke ranks 1st in starts (523) and innings (3293.2), 2nd in wins (224) and 3rd in strikeouts (2,914)…he is one of three pitchers in Major League history to win a Cy Young Award, a Rawlings Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award, along with Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser.
LAST START: Greinke did not figure into the decision of the Royals 4-3, walk-off loss last Saturday night in Milwaukee, in which he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and no walks in 5.0 innings, with 5 strikeouts…he retired the first six batters before Brice Turang singled to begin the 3rd and scored on a 2-out, 2-run home run by Christian Yelich…Zack retired six of the next eight batters, including a double play in the 4th, and exited with a 3-2 lead…Yelich tied the game with his 2nd HR of the night in the 6th inning off Josh Taylor, and Milwaukee walked off on a sacrifice fly in the 9th.
Zack has exited tied or with a lead in his last 3 starts, after exiting at a deficit in 5 of his 1st 6 starts…he’s completed 5.0 innings in 8 of his 9 starts this year.
GRE1NKE: Zack’s last start ended on a called third strike of Milwaukee’s Joey Wiemer in the 5th inning, which marked the 1,000th different batter Zack has struck out in his 20-year career…he’s the fifth pitcher in Major League history, according to Kenny Jackelen of Baseball Reference, to fan 1,000 different batters, joining Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens.
Among the 1,000 batters he’s struck out includes Hall of Famers Chipper Jones, Frank Thomas, Scott Rolen, Derek Jeter, Iván Rodríguez, David Ortiz and Jim Thome…he’s fanned 10 sets of brothers, one father/son duo—Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and Jr.—and six current big league Managers, including Rocco Baldelli, Aaron Boone, Craig Counsell, Mark Kotsay, Phil Nevin & Skip Schumaker.
Greinke is 86 strikeouts shy of becoming the 20th pitcher to reach 3,000.
WALKING ON WATER: Zack’s pinpoint control has been on full display this season, his 20th in the Majors…the 39-year-old has issued only 7 walks to the 194 batters he’s faced through 9 starts (46.2 IP) for a 3.6% walk rate and 1.4 BB/9, which rank 2nd and 3rd, respectively, among American League pitchers this season.
BACK IN BLUE: Zack returned in 2023 for the second straight year to Kansas City, where he spent the first seven seasons of his Major League career, after being selected by the Royals 6th overall in the 2002 Draft…Greinke is the 33rd player to play for the Royals, leave the organization and later return…he missed time due to two stints on the Injured List in 2022, limiting him to only 137.0 innings, the 4th fewest in his career behind the shortened 2020 season (67.0 IP), 2006 (6.1 IP) and 2007 (122.0 IP)…he did, however, rank 2nd among Royals starters with a 3.68 ERA (56 ER in 137.0 IP).
Tonight marks Zack’s 205th start with the Royals, breaking a tie with Danny Duffy for the 7th most in club history, trailing Paul Splittorff (392), Mark Gubicza (327), Dennis Leonard (302), Kevin Appier (275), Bret Saberhagen (226) and Larry Gura (219).…his 1,036 strikeouts with the Royals rank 7th, 12 shy of Duffy.
VS. WHITE SOX: Tonight marks Greinke’s 33rd career outing (30th start) vs. the White Sox, and his 30 starts (including tonight) are tied with
Cleveland for his 2nd most vs. any opponent, trailing only the Rockies, vs. whom he has 36 starts…he’s 10-10 with a 3.84 ERA (83 ER in 194.2 IP) in his career vs. the Sox, including a no decision last week in a 12-5 Royals win in Kansas City, in which he was charged with 4 runs (3 ER) in 5.2 innings…Zack has not lost to the White Sox since Aug. 19, 2009 during his first stint with the Royals, and in 10 starts since, he’s 5-0 with a 3.20 ERA (25 ER in 70.1 IP)
CHICAGO WHITE SOX NOTES:
WHITE SOX AT A GLANCE
The Chicago White Sox have lost seven of their last 12 games and 18 of 27 as they continue a nine-game, 10-day homestand tonight with the series opener vs. Kansas City.
RHP Michael Kopech, who is looking for his first win at Guaranteed Rate Field this season, is scheduled to start for Chicago.
The White Sox have split the first six games of this homestand, winning two of three over Cleveland after losing two of three to Houston last weekend to open the homestand.
Following this series vs. the Royals, the Sox will take a seven-game trip to the Guardians (5/22-24) and Detroit (5/25-28).
The Sox went 3-4 on their last trip at Cincinnati (2-1) and Kansas City (1-3) from 5/5-11 and 3-4 on their last homestand vs. Tampa Bay (1-3) and Minnesota (2-1) from 4/27-5/4.
TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
The White Sox need two wins this weekend to clinch their first winning homestand of the season.
White Sox starters own a 3.21 ERA (15 ER/42.0 IP), .216 (33- 153) opponents average and 33 strikeouts over the last seven games … they have allowed three earned runs or less six times.
The Sox were outscored 27-13 in their four-game series loss to Kansas City from 5/-11, including seven and eight-run defeats.
Michael Kopech owns a 2.79 ERA (6 ER/19.1 IP), .179 (12-67) average, 0.98 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in fi ve career appearances (three starts) vs. the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Jake Burger is hitting .339/.387/.911 (19-56) with three doubles, nine home runs, 18 RBI and a 1.298 OPS at home in 2023 … 17 of his 19 career homers have come at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Luis Robert Jr. has hit safely in 14 of 16 games in May, going 22-57 (.386) with six doubles, seven home runs, 15 RBI, five walks, seven multi-hit eff orts and a 1.321 OPS.
YESTERDAY’S RECAP
Cleveland limited Chicago to one hit over the final five innings and held on for a 3-1 win to avoid a series sweep.
The Sox were unable to convert on a bases-loaded, no outs situation in the second as Hanser Alberto popped out to first base before Seby Zavala and Jake Marisnick both struck out.
Seby Zavala gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead with a RBI single in the fourth but the Guardians answered with a run in the fifth and two runs in the seventh, all off starter Dylan Cease.
Cease suffered the loss despite allowing three runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 6.1 IP … Garrett Crochet worked a 1-2-3 ninth in his fi rst game since Game 4 of the 2021 ALDS.
Luis Robert Jr. recorded the White Sox only multi-hit effort … the Sox walked once, went 1-7 with RISP and left seven on base.
LONGBALL LOGISTICS
The Sox (Burger, Robert Jr.) are one of four MLB teams with multiple players to hit 10-plus home runs this season, joining Atlanta (Acuna Jr., Albies, Murphy, Olson), the Angels (Ohtani, Renfroe, Trout) and Tampa Bay (Arozarena, Díaz, Lowe).
The White Sox have homered in 14 of its last 17 games since 4/30 (24 total homers), and hit 27 in its last 20 games since 4/27.
The Sox have recorded nine multi-homer eff orts and been held without a home run just four times over the last 20 games.
Chicago is 14-17 when homering, 7-7 when hitting multiple homers and 2-12 when going homerless this season.
LONGBALL LOGISTICS, PART II
Luis Robert Jr. (T2nd, 12) and Jake Burger (T6th, 10) rank among the American League home run leaders this season.
Robert Jr. is tied for third in MLB with nine 400-plus foot homers in 2023, trailing Ronald Acuna Jr. and Pete Alonso (10 each) … he is averaging 407 ft. and 107.2 mph on his 12 homers, including max values of 430 ft. on 5/9 at K.C., and 113.6 mph on 5/14 vs. Houston.
Robert Jr. has recorded 400-plus foot distances on 34 of his 48 career home runs … he leads the Sox since the start of 2020 with homer averages of 412 feet and 107.6 mph exit velocity (min. 10 home runs).
Burger leads MLB with a 8.3 homers per at-bat this season (minimum 80 plate appearances) … he is averaging 405 feet on his 19 career home runs, and 13 have traveled an estimated 400-plus feet.
HOORAY FOR MAY
Luis Robert Jr. is hitting .386/.462/.860 (22-57) with six doubles, seven homers (averaging 421 ft. and 109.2 mph EV), 15 RBI, 17 runs scored, five walks and a 1.321 OPS in May (16 G).
He ranks among AL May leaders in on-base percentage (1st), slugging percentage (1st), OPS (1st), runs scored (1st), total bases (1st, 49), home runs (1st), extra-base hits (1st, 13), RBI (2nd), average (3rd), hits (T2nd) and doubles (T4th).
The last White Sox to win American League Player of the Month honors was 1B José Abreu in August 2021.
WHITE SOX VS. KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Kansas City won three of four from 5/8-11 at Kauffman Stadium in the fi rst matchup of the season between the clubs … following this series, the clubs don’t play again until September.
Chicago is hitting .212/.271/.333 with three home runs, owns a 7.29 ERA (27 ER/33.1 IP) with two quality starts and has been outscored by a 27-13 margin vs. the Royals this season.
The White Sox are 19-23 vs. the Royals since the start of the 2021 season (outscored 169-159), including a 9-9 home mark.
Chicago went 9-10 vs. Kansas City last season, going 5-4 at Guaranteed Rate Field and 4-6 at Kauffman Stadium.
CENTRAL DIVISION DYNAMICS
Chicago is 6-7 vs. the American League Central … it currently is in a stretch of 13 straight games vs. the division (2-1 record).
The White Sox went 37-39 vs. the AL Central in 2022 (18-19 at home; 19-20 on the road) after going 69-47 from 2020-21.
The Sox recorded three straight winning seasons vs. the division from 2019-21, their longest streak since 1997-2009.
REST WHEN YOU CAN
The Sox currently are in a stretch of 16 straight games without a day off and are 9-8 during the current stretch of 29 games in 30 days from 5/2-31 (only off days in May are 5/1 and 5/15).
The 29-game stretch includes 15 games at home, 14 on the road and 20 vs. the American League Central … the White Sox play six of seven series from 5/5-28 vs. teams below .500 (at Cincinnati, at/vs. Kansas City, vs./at Cleveland and at Detroit).
POSTING PUNCHOUTS
Chicago pitchers rank second in MLB with 422 strikeouts, trailing Minnesota (432) … White Sox starters rank second in the major leagues in strikeouts (255), trailing the Twins (280).
Lance Lynn is tied for sixth among American League starting pitchers with 61 strikeouts, and Reynaldo López is tied for sixth among AL relievers with 27 strikeouts.
SOUTHPAW SUCCESS
Chicago is 30-83 (.361) in the last 11 games vs. LHP.
The White Sox are batting .273/.339/.443 vs. left-handed pitching since the start of the 2019 season … during that span, the Sox lead MLB in average, rank second in on-base percentage, tied for fourth in OPS (.782) and sixth in slugging pct.
Tim Anderson owns a .350/.379/.555 (144-412) slash line vs. LHP since 2019, and Hanser Alberto is hitting .345/.364/.491 (172-499) … Anderson and Alberto rank 1-2 in MLB in average vs. left-handers since the start of 2019.
Luis Robert Jr. is 11-28 (.393) with three homers and seven RBI vs. LHP in 2023 and hitting .355/.417/.617/1.033 lifetime.
NO RISP, NO REWARD
The White Sox rank seventh in the American League and 13th in MLB with a .258 (92-357) RISP average.
The Sox are hitting .229/.310/.426 with 67 RBI and a .736 OPS with RISP over the last 25 games.
ANDREW, ANDREW … HE’S OUR MAN!
All five of Andrew Vaughn’s home runs this season have tied the game or given Chicago the lead, including a game-ending, three-run shot in the ninth inning on 4/30 vs. Tampa Bay.
Vaughn leads the White Sox with 18 contests with a hit and RBI, and 35 games reaching base safely (hit, walk or HBP).
Vaughn ranks seventh (.417) and Andrew Benintendi ranks 11th (.391) among American League RISP average leaders.
AS TA GOES, SO GO THE WHITE SOX
Since the start of the 2020, the Sox are 157-119 when Tim Anderson is in the starting lineup (68-85 when he doesn’t start).
During that span, the Sox are 129-79 when Anderson records a hit, 75-32 when he records a multi-hit effort, 96-47 when he scores a run and 27-3 when he homers.
Anderson ranks second in MLB since the start of 2019 with 53 three-hit games (Sox are 37-16), trailing Freddie Freeman (60). Anderson needs three homers to become the fourth player in White Sox history to record 100 homers and 100 stolen bases
STARTER – #34 MICHAEL KOPECH RHP
KOPECH AT A GLANCE
Is scheduled to make his ninth start of the season, fourth at home and first against the Kansas City Royals.
Has recorded 5.0-plus IP in six of his eight starts this season and 6.0-plus IP three times, allowing just one run in two of those outings.
Went 0-3 with a 7.01 ERA (20 ER/25.2 IP), 1.71 WHIP and .280 (28-100) opponents average in five April starts … the 7.01 ERA is his highest monthly ERA in his career.
Is limiting left-handed hitters to a .197 (13-66) batting average this season … his .197 batting average against lefties is the seventh-best in the American League among right-handed starters with at least seven starts.
Has received zero runs of support in four of his eight starts this season and more than three just twice … his four outings with zero runs of support are tied for second-most in the majors behind Ryan Yarbrough (5).
Has gone 8-14 with 4.03 ERA (85 ER/190.0 IP), .216 (150-695) opponents average and 184 strikeouts in 41 career starts … is 3-3 with 3.90 ERA (24 ER/55.1 IP), .225 (47-209) opponents average and 80 strikeouts in 40 career relief appearances.
Has recorded 100-plus strikeouts in each of his last two seasons (2021-22).
Spent his first full season in the major leagues in 2021, pitching out of the bullpen (40 games) while making four starts … opted out of the 2020 season for personal reasons … missed the entire 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery (performed on 9/18/18).
Was acquired by the White Sox from Boston with OF Luis Basabe, RHP Víctor Díaz and INF Yoán Moncada in exchange for LHP Chris Sale on 12/6/16.
LAST START
Suffered the lost on 5/12 against the Houston Astros, allowing two runs on one hit with a season-high six walks and five strikeouts over 4.2 IP … allowed one run in the third inning without a hit (Kyle Tuckers led off with a walk and scored on Jeremy Peña’s sacrifice fly) and one in
the fourth on an RBI double from Tucker.
Departed the game in the fifth with the White Sox trailing, 2-1 … threw 94 pitches (48 strikes) … the Sox lost, 5-1.
Owned a 54.5 first-strike percentage and 5.3 swinging-strike percentage (five swing and misses) vs. 22 batters … threw 59 four-seam fastballs 95.9 mph avg; 97.9 mph max), 26 sliders (85.5 avg; 88.2 max), five changeups (89.9 mph avg; 91.8 max) and four curveballs (80.4 avg; 81.5 max).
WELCOME MAY
Has gone 2-2 with a 2.27 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, .134 (20- 149) opponents average and 40 strikeouts over eight career starts in May … his 2.27 ERA and .134 opponents average are career monthly bests.
Has allowed 11 runs as a starter in May, the least amount allowed in a single month for his career.
Went 1-1 with a 1.17 ERA (3 ER/23.0 IP), 0.78 WHIP, .103 (8-78) opponents average and 21 strikeouts over four May starts in 2022.
DAMAGE CONTROL AT RISK
Has limited the opposition to a career .201 (35-174) average with RISP and .213 (20-94) mark with RISP/two outs.
Opponents are batting a career-high .256 (10-39) with RISP and .360 (9-25) with RISP/two outs against him this season … in 2022, they hit .149 (10-67) with RISP and .125 (5-40) with RISP/two outs.
COMFORTS OF HOME
Has gone 3-8 with a 3.81 ERA (45 ER/106.1 IP), .191 (72-376) opponents average and 103 strikeouts over 22 career starts at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Is 0-1 with a 3.45 ERA (6 ER/15.2 IP), 15 walks and 16 strikeouts over his last three outings at home after allowing seven runs on eight hits over 4.2 IP in his first start of the season.
Went 2-5 with a 3.01 ERA (23 ER/68.2 IP), .157 (37- 235) opponents average and 52 strikeouts in 13 home starts (seven quality) in 2022 … allowed two runs or less eight times and one or fewer five times.
VS. KANSAS CITY ROYALS || A.L. CENTRAL
Is scheduled to make his fifth career start (11th appearance) vs. Kansas City and fourth (sixth) at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Has gone 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA (9 ER/16.0 IP), .207 (12-58) opponents average and 11 strikeouts as a starter … has allowed two runs or less in three of his four starts … did not make it out of the first inning in his last start on 8/22/22 (ND; 4 ER/0.0 IP).
Is 2-3 with a 3.66 ERA (29 ER/71.1 IP), .216 (56-159) opponents average and 75 strikeouts over 16 career starts against the American League Central.
