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Royals-White Sox Preview

Jul 11, 2010 - 3:48 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Kansas City (39-47) at Chicago (47-38), 2:05 p.m. EDT

The Chicago White Sox have enjoyed quite a resurgence with the All-Star break nearing, but that will be tested with Jake Peavy lost for the season.

Daniel Hudson will make his season debut in place of Peavy on Sunday when the White Sox look to complete a three-game sweep of Zack Greinke and the Kansas City Royals.

Chicago (48-38) has won seven straight and 24 of 29 to pull within one-half game of first-place Detroit in the AL Central.

"I've never seen a turnaround like this," first baseman Paul Konerko said. "I don't think anybody saw this coming."

The playoff push for the White Sox, though, took a hit with the news that Peavy is done for the season due to a detached right shoulder muscle suffered in Tuesday's win over the Los Angeles Angels.

For now, the White Sox will give Peavy's spot in the rotation to Hudson (NR), who went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA last year as a rookie in six appearances, including two starts. The right-hander gave up one run over 1 1-3 innings of relief in his lone appearance against Kansas City (39-48) in 2009.

"He just has to do what he can do," manager Ozzie Guillen told the White Sox's official website. "He's not coming here to save us. He's not going to come here to be Jake Peavy. He's not going to come here to say, 'Well, I have to do this to stay.' He has to go there to be Hudson."

Chicago pulled Hudson from the Futures Game on Sunday. He will be recalled from Class-AAA Charlotte, where he went 11-4 with a 3.47 ERA in 17 starts this year after pitching well in spring training for the White Sox.

Hudson will be hard-pressed to duplicate Chicago's success during this win streak. White Sox starters are 6-0 with a 0.99 ERA in that span, and the only one not to notch a win in that span was Peavy after he lasted 1 2-3 innings before leaving with his injury.

Gavin Floyd was the latest White Sox starter to shine with 7 2-3 effective innings in a 5-1 victory Saturday. David DeJesus' RBI double in the eighth inning ended a string of 30 innings by Chicago starters without allowing an earned run.

Carlos Quentin hit two of Chicago's three homers and Gordon Beckham had the other. The White Sox got two homers in Friday's 8-2 victory in the series opener from A.J. Pierzynski.

Greinke (5-8, 3.71 ERA) is 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last five starts for Kansas City, including a 7-6 win over Chicago on June 30 in which he allowed six runs over eight innings. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner improved to 6-10 with a 4.61 ERA in 20 starts against the White Sox.

The right-hander, though, is 1-7 with a 7.15 ERA in eight career starts at U.S. Cellular Field.

Greinke was sharp in his last outing, allowing one unearned run and two hits over seven innings to earn a 3-2 victory at Seattle on Tuesday.