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White Sox open up set with Royals

Jul 18, 2011 - 2:52 PM (Sports Network) - After failing to record a sweep of Detroit over the weekend, the Chicago White Sox get back to work tonight in the opener of a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

The White Sox outscored the Tigers, 13-2, over the first two matchups before dropping a 4-3 decision in Sunday's series finale. Philip Humber struck out eight batters over 5 2/3 innings, but the four runs and seven hits allowed sent him to the loss column.

Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham had two hits and an RBI apiece for the White Sox, who had won three of four games following a four-game slide and will also visit Cleveland on this nine-game road trip (2-1).

"[The Tigers] battled and had enthusiasm. They made the plays when they needed to make the plays. Today, we just came up short," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, whose club is four games behind both Cleveland and Detroit in the American League Central standings.

Chicago has won each of Mark Buehrle's last four starts, but the lefty is only 0-1 with a 2.10 ERA in his last five outings. The White Sox are 4-1 in that time and will send him to the mound tonight in KC. Buehrle allowed three unearned runs over eight innings of a 4-3 win over Minnesota on July 9 and is 6-5 with a 3.42 ERA in 18 overall starts this season.

Buehrle, who sports a 2-4 mark in nine road starts, is 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA in two assignments against the Royals this season. He has faced the Central-rival Royals 49 times in his career, going 21-11 with a 3.66 ERA in 47 starts.

Kansas City lost three of four contests at Minnesota this weekend and is coming off back-to-back 4-3 losses. In Sunday's version, Jeff Francoeur went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, while Melky Cabrera had two hits and scored a run in defeat.

Felipe Paulino was dealt the loss for yielding four runs and seven hits in seven innings of work, falling to 1-3 on the season.

"We're just at a point where one mistake kills us," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "If it's a pitch or missing a pitch offensively, it's just one mistake that is costing us the game. We're just walking a thin line. We hung a 3-2 curveball and it cost us the game today."

The Royals will begin a six-game homestand today versus the White Sox and Rays.

Kyle Davies has been dreadful for the Royals and is 0-7 with a 7.25 earned run average in his last eight starts -- all Kansas City losses. Davies failed to right the ship in a 6-4 loss to Detroit on July 6, when he was reached for five runs and nine hits in six innings. It was his second start since coming off of the disabled list.

Davies' only win of the season came on April 13 at Minnesota in a 10-5 drubbing of the Twins in which he lasted five innings and gave up five runs and 10 hits. He is 1-8 with a 7.74 ERA in 11 starts this season and 0-3 in five trips to the Kauffman Stadium mound.

The right-hander has made eight career starts against the White Sox, going 3-2 with a 4.87 ERA.

Kansas City has won three of five meetings with Chicago in 2011 after the Pale Hose had 10 wins in 18 tries a year ago in this series.