The Royals made the playoffs last year in part, by taking 12 of 13 games from a terrible White Sox club. The White Sox are again bad, although not as bad as last year. And if the Royals want to return to the post-season, they probably need to sweep this series and improve on their 5-2 record against the White Sox this year.

Chicago White Sox (44-77) vs. Kansas City Royals (60-61) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO

White Sox: 3.82 runs scored/game (27th in MLB), 4.43 runs allowed/game (18th)

Royals: 3.77 runs scored/game (28th), 3.88 runs allowed/game (4th)

The White Sox had a decent 12-13 July, but have dropped eight of their last ten games. They’re just 18-41 on the road this year, but somehow have won four of their last five road series. The White Sox have a decent walk rate, but their .228 team batting average is the worst in baseball.

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Lenyn Sosa has the second-lowest walk rate in baseball at 3.3 percent. Miguel Vargas has the second-highest flyball rate at 53.7 percent. He’s hitting .256/.332/.503 on the road this year. Luis Robert Jr. has a contact rate of 69.6 percent, eighth-lowest in baseball. He’s also hitting just .203/.271/.307 against righties. Andrew Benintendi is just 4-for-his-last-38 (.105).

Rookie Colson Montgomery has hit 10 home runs in his last 20 games. Mike Tauchman has a reverse split, hitting .268/.400/.537 with a 16 percent walk rate against lefties. Rookie Edgar Quero is hitting .370 against lefties. Rookie Kyle Teel is hitting .194/.292/.290 on the road. Curtis Mead is hitting .267/.333/.267 in nine games since being traded from the Rays. Josh Rojas has the fourth-worst fWAR in baseball.

Aaron Civale has a 3.19 ERA in 10 career starts against the Royals. He gave up nine runs, exiting in the fourth inning of his last start against the Guardians, ending a run of three consecutive starts without allowing an earned run. Civale has pitched much better on the road this year with a 3.89 ERA, compared to a 6.25 ERA at home. Opponents are hitting .30 against his sinker.

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Sean Burke has a 3.68 ERA over his last five starts, but has failed to pitch more than five innings in any of them. He left in the fourth inning of his last start despite seven strikeouts, due to 88 pitches and three walks. Burke gave up just one run in 6.1 innings in a no-decision in Kauffman Stadium back on May 6. Burke throws a 94 mph fastball with a slider, curve, sinker, and a changeup that opponents are hitting .429 against.

Davis Martin gave up seven hits and four runs in just 4.1 innings in a 10-0 loss on May 8 in Kansas City. He has a strikeout rate of 16.4 percent, 15th-lowest among pitchers with at least 100 innings. Opposing hitters are pulling the ball 47 percent of the time against him, sixth-highest rate in baseball. Martin throws a four-seamer, cutter, changeup, sinker, slider, and curve.

The White Sox bullpen has a solid 3.75 ERA, tenth-lowest in baseball. However, they have the fewest saves in baseball at 17, with 17 blown saves. Opponents are hitting .300 against Brandon Eisert’s slider, but whiff against his changeup 44 percent of the time. Steven Wilson has a 52 percent flyball rate, ninth-highest in baseball. Mike Vasil has the highest walk rate in baseball for anyone with at least 70 innings. Tyler Alexander has the fourth-lowest home run-to-flyball rate.

The Royals really need a sweep to get back into the Wild Card race, but the White Sox pitching staff is not as bad as their overall record indicates. The offense will need to step up and take advantage of opportunities, because time is running out for the Royals to make their move.