After securing their third series win in the last four attempts, the Chicago White Sox are set to host the Kansas City Royals for the first of a three-game series on Tuesday night.
“Everyone knows we’ve got a really solid group with plenty of talent. We’re just bringing everything together and maturing as a team,” said closer Seranthony Dominguez.
The Royals are the only American League Central opponent the White Sox have faced so far this season, with the two teams splitting a four-game set in Kansas City from April 9-12.
Chicago was swept by Tampa Bay in their next series but has since regained momentum, winning 13 of their last 21 games.
Strong pitching and infield power have fueled this run. First baseman Munetaka Murakami entered the week with 15 home runs, just one shy of the major-league lead. Shortstop Colson Montgomery (10 homers) and third baseman Miguel Vargas (nine) have also contributed.
“Everybody wants to win and improve,” said reliever Bryan Hudson. “We’re constantly feeding off each other. It’s a great environment to get better in. It gives you extra motivation when you’re playing for someone else besides yourself. You want to back your teammate, and they do the same for you when you’re not out there.”
Murakami has homered in a major-league record eight consecutive series openers.
Tuesday marks the start of a six-game road trip for the Royals, who went 4-3 against division rivals Cleveland and Detroit last week.
Kansas City couldn’t complete a sweep of Detroit on Sunday, falling 6-3 despite a 3-for-3 performance from Maikel Garcia and two-hit games from Bobby Witt and Vinnie Pasquantino.
“We played good baseball and won the series,” Garcia said. “Now we’ll try to keep it going on the road.”
Right-hander Stephen Kolek (1-0, 4.50 ERA) is expected to start for Kansas City. Kolek, who had been rehabbing a strained left oblique suffered in spring training, earned a win against Cleveland in his season debut on May 5. He allowed three runs and four hits over six innings with three strikeouts and no walks.
“The rehab process was great, and everything has gone really smoothly,” Kolek said. “They say oblique injuries can linger and be tricky, but I think we’ve done a great job staying healthy and making progress each week.”
Chicago will counter with right-hander Erick Fedde, who has pitched effectively in seven appearances (five starts) but is still looking for his first win of the season. Fedde (0-4, 3.79 ERA) gave up a solo homer to Garcia on April 11, the only run he allowed in five innings, but took the loss in a 2-0 Royals victory. In his most recent start, a road loss to the Los Angeles Angels on May 5, Fedde allowed four runs and six hits, including three homers, in 4 2/3 innings.
Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez is expected to return to the lineup after getting Sunday off.
