Barstool Bush
Predictions

Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox

By Bush StaffUpdated 55d ago·2 min read
Kansas City RoyalsKC(34-50)
Chicago White SoxCWS(43-38)
5—4
FINAL
123456789RHE
KC
1211000005110
CWS
220000000471

Anthony Kay (6-2, 4.24 ERA) gets the ball for Chicago in Sunday's series finale at Guaranteed Rate Field, first pitch at 1:10 PM CT. He draws Luinder Avila (3-3, 5.06 ERA), a guy who's in Kansas City's rotation largely by default after injuries wiped out most of the alternatives. The White Sox lined up their best starter for the sweep attempt.

Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Royals(34-50)
LLLLW
5
White Sox(43-38)
WWLWW
4
Best BetWhite Sox -137
Pregame

Chicago at -132 is the price of a team playing its best baseball at home with its top starter taking the mound against a KC squad scoring 1 run a game. The Royals are 2-4 against this White Sox club, missing multiple lineup regulars, and throwing a pitcher who's here because the rest of the rotation is injured. The price reflects the reality.

Kay's last outing was his best in weeks — 6 innings, 0 earned runs, 8 strikeouts against Cleveland on 101 pitches. He got knocked around earlier in the season while trying to rediscover his cutter, but the 6-2 record reflects a pitcher who's kept Chicago in games consistently since figuring it out. Avila won his last start too, holding Tampa Bay to 1 run over 5 innings, but context matters: Cole Ragans is done for months after elbow surgery, Kris Bubic is on the IL with elbow soreness, Stephen Kolek is day-to-day, and Alec Marsh is on the 60-day. Avila is pitching in this rotation because the alternatives are gone.

Kansas City Royals
Luinder Avila
(4-3)·5.08 ERA
Jun 23 @ Rays
W
5.0IP
1ER
6K
4BB
87P
06/28 Lineup
Chicago White Sox
Anthony Kay
(6-4)·4.23 ERA
Jun 22 vs Guardians
ND
6.0IP
0ER
8K
2BB
101P
06/28 Lineup
Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
(34-50)
Jun 27L@ White Sox1-2
Jun 26L@ White Sox1-22
Jun 25L@ Rays2-13
Jun 24L@ Rays3-5
Jun 23W@ Rays12-5
Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
(43-38)
Jun 27Wvs Royals2-1
Jun 26Wvs Royals22-1
Jun 24Lvs Guardians3-4
Jun 23Wvs Guardians2-1
Jun 22Wvs Guardians6-5

Friday's 22-1 rout was the most runs the White Sox have scored in a single game since 1970. Tristan Peters hit a grand slam and drove in 6, Jacob Gonzalez and Miguel Vargas each had 5 RBIs, and Chicago sent 23 men to the plate and hit 5 home runs. Then Saturday it was a 2-1 walk-off in the 9th — Gonzalez again with the series-winning RBI single. That clinched Chicago's 10th consecutive home series win, the first time in franchise history they've done that. Carter Jensen's 18-game hitting streak — the longest active in the majors — is the lone bright spot in a Kansas City lineup that has scored exactly 1 run in each of the last 2 games.

Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
(13)
  • Day-To-DayStephen Kolek (SP) — Kolek (4-2) took the loss Sunday against the Cardinals, allowing nine runs on nine hits and one walk over 1.2 innings.06/25
  • Day-To-DayJavier Vaz (2B) — Vaz (fingers) has produced a .238/.304/.262 slash line with zero home runs and three stolen bases in 10 games since being activated from Double-A Northwest Arkansas' 7-day injured list April 22.05/08
  • Day-To-DayTyson Guerrero (RP) — no05/08
  • 10-Day-ILMaikel Garcia (3B) — The Royals placed Garcia on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to a left hand muscle strain.06/23
  • 10-Day-ILVinnie Pasquantino (1B) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that Pasquantino underwent surgery Sunday to remove a fractured hamate bone in his right hand and will face a recovery timeline of roughly 4-6 weeks, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.06/14
  • 10-Day-ILKyle Isbel (CF) — Isbel has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 tear of a portion of his left plantar fasciitis.06/11
  • 15-Day-ILKris Bubic (SP) — Bubic (elbow) threw a perfect inning while striking out one in Wednesday's rehab start with Triple-A Omaha.06/26
  • 15-Day-ILNick Mears (RP) — Mears (shoulder) received an injection and began playing catch again Monday, MLB.com reports.06/24
  • 60-Day-ILCole Ragans (SP) — Ragans will undergo surgery on his left elbow Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.06/27
  • 60-Day-ILCarlos Estevez (RP) — Estevez (shoulder) threw a bullpen Sunday and is scheduled to throw another Wednesday, MLB.com reports.06/24
  • 60-Day-ILJonathan India (2B) — no06/04
  • 60-Day-ILJames McArthur (RP) — McArthur (elbow) underwent surgery Friday to help combat continued soreness and inflammation, MLB.com reports.05/25
  • 60-Day-ILAlec Marsh (SP) — The Royals placed Marsh (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08
Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
(15)
  • Day-To-DayHagen Smith (SP) — Smith will be shut down for two weeks after being diagnosed with a left shoulder impingement, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.06/16
  • Day-To-DayTim Elko (1B) — no06/11
  • Day-To-DayMason Adams (RP) — The White Sox announced that Adams underwent successful Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.05/08
  • 7-day ilEverson Pereira (RF) — The White Sox activated Pereira (pectoral) from the 10-day injured list Thursday.06/18
  • 10-Day-ILMunetaka Murakami (1B) — White Sox manager Will Venable said Sunday that Murakami (hamstring) is increasing the intensity of his hitting and running at about 80 percent intensity, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.06/21
  • 15-Day-ILNoah Schultz (SP) — Schultz (knee) struck out four over 2.2 scoreless innings in a rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Charlotte. He scattered two hits and one walk and also hit two batters.06/22
  • 15-Day-ILTyler Gilbert (RP) — The White Sox placed Gilbert on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left shoulder impingement.06/10
  • 60-Day-ILAustin Hays (LF) — Hays has been pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte due to a recurrence of left calf soreness, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.06/09
  • 60-Day-ILJordan Leasure (RP) — Leasure (forearm) said Friday that he will be shut down from throwing for four weeks, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.05/30
  • 60-Day-ILKy Bush (SP) — Bush (elbow) had a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and is unlikely to return until the second half of the season, MLB.com reports.05/26
  • 60-Day-ILDrew Thorpe (SP) — Thorpe (elbow) recently underwent an appendectomy but has resumed throwing, MLB.com reports.05/26
  • 60-Day-ILPrelander Berroa (RP) — Berroa is dealing with right elbow inflammation and will have his rehab stint paused, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.05/17
  • 60-Day-ILMike Vasil (RP) — The White Sox transferred Vasil (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILTanner Murray (LF) — The White Sox transferred Murray (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Monday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILBrooks Baldwin (LF) — The White Sox transferred Baldwin (elbow) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08

The Royals come in at 34-50 and their roster is genuinely depleted. Vinnie Pasquantino had hamate surgery earlier this month and is out 4-6 weeks, Maikel Garcia is on the IL with a hand strain, Kyle Isbel has a Grade 3 plantar fascia tear, and Jonathan India hasn't played in weeks. Kansas City is 2-4 against Chicago this season. The White Sox are 27-13 at home, tied with Tampa Bay for the best home record in baseball. Avila is walking into a buzzsaw of an environment trying to stop an offense that has been statistically one of the best in the AL when playing at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Sources

MLBKansas City RoyalsChicago White SoxPolymarketKalshiLuinder AvilaAnthony Kay