Gamethread: White Sox at Royals

The White Sox have a chance to take 4 out of 5 in this super-series against the Royals. That’s strange to say, considering that the Sox came into Kansas City with a 5-16 record. Now, they’re 5-1 in Kauffman Stadium (and 3-16 everywhere else) thanks to oddly effective starts from Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Carson Fulmer. Of course, the Royals have the 4th-worst offense in baseball (82 team wRC+), so that helps too.

Today, Hector Santiago makes his first start of 2018, and his first in a White Sox uniform since 2013. The swingman is swinging, and he’s already the eighth pitcher to make a start for the Sox this season. We’ll see how long he goes, since this pitching staff is still picking up the pieces after short outings and extra innings threw them out of sorts. Santiago earned this start with a 3.38 ERA in 7 relief appearances, with 15 strikeouts and 7 walks in 16 innings.

Daniel Palka is getting another start in right field after collecting his first four major league hits, including a home run, in the Saturday afternoon game, and Omar Narvaez is behind the plate. Otherwise, the Sox starters are all here today, including newly minted Royals killer Matt Davidson.