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Royals-White Sox Preview

Jul 10, 2010 - 5:06 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Kansas City (39-46) at Chicago (46-38), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Two months into the season, Gavin Floyd was struggling badly on a troubled Chicago pitching staff.

Heading into the All-Star break, Floyd is leading a resurgent rotation that has helped the White Sox climb into the thick of the AL Central race.

Floyd looks to win three straight starts for the first time in two years and lead surging Chicago to a seventh consecutive victory Saturday night against the Kansas City Royals.

After being 9 1/2 games out of first place on June 8, the White Sox (47-38) have won 23 of 28 to pull within one-half game of division-leading Detroit. An 8-2 win over the Royals in Friday's series opener was Chicago's sixth in a row overall, and 12th in 13 games at U.S. Cellular Field.

"I think everybody knows the way we're playing, everybody is having fun right now," said Mark Buehrle, Friday's winning pitcher. "I don't know how to explain why we're playing so good, but whatever we're doing, just keep on doing it."

Exceptional pitching has keyed the turnaround.

Chicago had the AL's second-worst ERA on June 8 at 4.85, but has recorded a major league-leading 2.38 ERA since.

Floyd (4-7, 4.43 ERA) had posted a 1.23 ERA in six starts during that stretch - a remarkable improvement from the 6.64 ERA he compiled through his first 11 outings.

The right-hander has yielded one run or none in five of his last six starts. The lone outing in which he allowed more came in Kansas City on June 29, when he gave up three runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-3 win.

Floyd followed that performance by allowing one run in seven innings of a 9-2 home victory over the Angels on Monday. He has won back-to-back starts for the first time since last July, and is trying to win three consecutive outings for the first time since Aug. 20-31, 2008.

"I'm just trying to focus on each start," Floyd told the White Sox's official website. "I mean you just kind of go out there with an open mind and try to commit to pitches and pitch with conviction out there and whatever happens, happens."

Floyd's victory in Kansas City snapped a six-game losing streak to the Royals (39-47). He had surrendered 11 runs and 23 hits over 12 1-3 innings while losing his first two starts against Kansas City in 2010.

Floyd's batterymate A.J. Pierzynski hit two homers and drove in four runs Friday after batting .167 with one RBI in his previous 12 games. The catcher is batting .419 with two home runs and five doubles in 31 career at-bats against probable Royals starter Brian Bannister (7-6, 5.44).

Carlos Quentin, who returned Friday after sitting out the previous three games with a sore left knee, is 5 for 12 with two homers off the Kansas City right-hander.

Bannister opposed Floyd last week and took the loss after allowing four runs and eight hits in four innings.

Six days later, Bannister gave up four runs in seven innings of Monday's 6-4, 10-inning win in Seattle. He is 1-3 with an 8.25 ERA in his last five starts after posting a 3.66 ERA while winning his previous five.

Like Floyd, Bannister has also struggled in this series, going 2-6 with a 9.41 ERA in his last 12 starts against the White Sox.