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White Sox take aim at .500 in finale with Royals

Jul 6, 2011 - 2:54 PM (Sports Network) - Right-hander Edwin Jackson can get himself and his team back to the .500 mark today when the Chicago White Sox close out a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals at U.S. Cellular Field.

Jackson is 5-6 on the season and 3-4 against the Royals in his career, while the White Sox enter the game at 43-44 after Matt Treanor hit a tie-breaking two-run single in the sixth inning to lift the Royals to 5-3 victory in Tuesday's second game.

Felipe Paulino (1-2) allowed three runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out a season-high nine batters to earn his first win of the year. Joakim Soria put the tying runs on base in the ninth, but got out of the jam to earn his 14th save.

Alcides Escobar added two hits, including a two-run triple, as Kansas City was victorious for the second time in three games.

Jake Peavy (4-2), who was making his 240th career start, threw six innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks. He entered the game needing five strikeouts to reach 1,500 for his career, but he only managed to record four.

Paul Konerko had a home run and two RBI in Chicago's second loss in seven games.

Jackson, meanwhile, was a 6-4 winner over the cross town Chicago Cubs in his last start, scattering five hits and four runs across six innings on July 1.

He was winless for the month of June, going 0-1 in four starts while allowing 28 hits and eight runs in 25 2/3 innings.

In 39 career innings against the Royals, he's given up 47 hits and 28 runs while striking out 22 batters and giving up an opponent average of .301.

Kansas City replies with lefty Bruce Chen, who'll face the White Sox for the 11th time while aiming for his first victory. The 34-year-old native of Panama is 0-3 in 10 career appearances against Chicago - five starts - and has allowed 41 hits and 19 runs in 37 2/3 innings.

He was 4-1 on the 2011 season after a 9-1 defeat of Baltimore on May 5, but went on the disabled list soon after and is 0-1 in two starts since returning.

In his last outing, on June 29 in San Diego, he allowed four unearned runs on eight hits in six innings of the Royals' 4-1 loss.