- Last place in the AL Central will be on the line this week when the Kansas City Royals welcome the Chicago White Sox to Kauffman Stadium for a four-game set.
The Royals, who enter this series just a half-game ahead of the White Sox for the worst record in the division, have dropped eight of their 11 matchups with Chicago this season, but will meet them seven times before now and the end of the year.
Both teams enter this series on a rare winning note, as the Royals topped Cleveland on Sunday, while Chicago got the best of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim courtesy of Jim Thome's 500th career home run.
Thome became the 23rd player in major league history to reach the milestone, as his homer in the ninth gave the White Sox a 9-7 win.
Mike MacDougal (2-5) hurled two innings of scoreless relief to earn the win for Chicago. Starter Mark Buehrle allowed 11 hits and seven runs -- six earned -- over 6 1/3 frames.
Getting the call for the White Sox tonight will be right-hander Javier Vazquez, who is 12-8 with a 3.90 ERA. Vazquez earned the win against the Indians on Wednesday, as he gave up two runs (one earned) and six hits in 6 1/3 frames.
Vazquez is 5-2 lifetime against the Royals with a 2.80 ERA in nine starts.
Kansas City will counter with 24-year-old righty Kyle Davies, who has lost five of his last six starts. Davies was charged with the loss on Tuesday against Minnesota, as he gave up four runs (two earned) and four hits in five innings to fall to 2-5 since being acquired from the Atlanta Braves for closer Octavio Dotel.
Davies, who has never faced the White Sox, is 6-13 overall on the year with a 5.72 ERA.
Kansas City avoided a sweep on Sunday with a 4-3 win. Billy Buckner hurled six brilliant innings for his first major league win, and Emil Brown had three hits and drove in a pair of runs to fuel the offense.
Buckner (1-1) allowed just one run on five hits, while walking one and fanning three for the Royals, who won for just the second time in 11 games.
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