White Sox, Royals meet again in Chicago
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The Chicago White Sox look to stop a four-game slide when they resume a four-game series versus the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
The White Sox are only 4-13 in their last 17 games and have lost the first two installments of this series with the Royals. In Saturday's 6-1 loss, Chris Sale allowed four runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.
"I think over the course of the year he's had a good year," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said of Sale. "Tonight wasn't one of those. They swung it pretty good against him tonight."
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Gordon Beckham homered and Alexei Ramirez had two of Chicago's four hits.
Chicago will send Erik Johnson to the mound Saturday and he is 2-2 with a 2.82 ERA in four starts. He has won back-to-back starts, including Sunday's 6-3 win at Detroit in which he hurled 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball.
Johnson has never faced the Royals.
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Kansas City has been playing this month, but will miss the playoffs.
The Royals have won two in a row and four of six games, and got seven stellar innings out of James Shields in Friday's win. Shields struck out 10 and allowed a run and four hits.
"Not only has he given us No. 1 starter quality stuff, he's been a great leader," said Kansas City manager Ned Yost about Shields.
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Emilio Bonifacio and Billy Butler had two RBI apiece in the win.
K.C. is slated to send Yordano Ventura to the bump Saturday and he is 0-0 with a 1.59 ERA over two starts. Ventura will face Chicago for the first time and hurled 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in Monday's 6-5 win at Seattle.
The Royals are 9-8 against Chicago this season.