The Chicago White Sox (62-59, 55-66 RL, 53-61-7 O/U) take on the Kansas City Royals (49-74, 56-67 RL, 61-61-1 O/U) in an AL Central battle on Monday evening. The White Sox will give the nod to Michael Kopech, seeking his fifth win. The Royals will opt for Daniel Lynch. The Royals lead the season series 8-7.
The White Sox will have Michael Kopech on the hill for the 23rd time of the season. Kopech was effective in his previous start, holding the tough Astros offense to three runs on five hits in six innings, but was charged with the loss. The young right-hander sometimes gets in trouble due to walks but overall is having a solid year, sporting a 3.25 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP to go with a 4-9 record in 110.2 innings pitched on the season. Kopech has conceded four runs in 12 innings against the Royals this season and is 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 24.2 career innings.
The White Sox continue to have trouble winning games with consistency. They have the talent but have not been able to climb into a postseason spot. The offense has been poor in big situations and they are 1-3 in their last five games. Chicago is rested after Sunday's game in Cleveland was rained out.
Andrew Vaughn has feasted on the Royals' pitching, collecting six RBIs and a stellar .980 OPS. The 24-year-old DH is having a stellar year, launching 13 homers with 58 RBIs and an .802 OPS. Vaughn continues to produce, recording a .314 average and a strong .874 OPS this month.
The White Sox are scoring an average of 4.22 runs, ranking them 19th overall. The pitching staff has posted a 3.98 team ERA, placing them 19th in the Major Leagues.