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White Sox host struggling Royals

May 11, 2007 - 1:55 PM Kansas City (11-24) at Chi White Sox (16-15) 8:11 pm EDT

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago White Sox are the worst hitting team in the American League. They hope a meeting with one of the league's worst pitching staffs will spark a turnaround.

Starting a stretch of 15 straight games at home, the White Sox will open a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Chicago opens an important stretch of games in the "Windy City," including three games against the crosstown rival Cubs. However, the White Sox have posted the fewest home wins in the American League.

A big part of Chicago's problems has been its anemic offense. The White Sox, who are hitting a league-worst .223, will look to turn it around against the Royals' struggling staff.

Kansas City, which has a 4.79 ERA, allowed 25 runs in its three-game series against the Oakland Athletics. The Royals have lost 12 of their last 16 contests, including two of three to the Oakland Athletics.

Despite its woes at the plate, Chicago has won four of its last five games thanks to an impressive pitching staff. Rookie John Danks and veteran Jose Contreras combined to allow just one run through 11 2/3 innings in the team's last two contests.

The White Sox will look for another stellar performance behind Jon Garland (1-2, 3.92 ERA), who picked up his first win of the season last Saturday in a 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He tossed seven innings, yielding three runs and eight hits.

Garland will be opposed by Odalis Perez (2-3, 6.75), who is 0-3 with a 6.65 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox. In his last outing, the lefthander allowed four runs and seven hits but did not factor in the decision in a 7-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers last Saturday.