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White Sox, Royals close set in KC

Sep 18, 2011 - 3:01 PM (Sports Network) - Veteran lefty Bruce Chen can follow up on his best outing of the season today when the Kansas City Royals close out a four-game series with the visiting Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium.

A 34-year-old native of Panama, Chen was a 4-0 winner in his last start on Tuesday against Minnesota after allowing two hits in eight scoreless innings with a walk and eight strikeouts.

The win was his 11th of the season and 59th in a big-league career that's spanned 13 years and 10 teams. His personal best in victories in one season is 13 - from 2005, when he was 13-10 with the Baltimore Orioles.

Chen is 2-3 lifetime against the White Sox in 13 games, including a 5-1 win on Aug. 12 at U.S. Cellular Field, in which he gave up one hit in six scoreless innings of a 5-1 triumph.

The Royals have won six of his last 10 starts and 14 of 22 overall in 2011.

On Saturday, Mike Moustakas and Jeff Francoeur each homered to back six strong innings from rookie Everett Teaford, as Kansas City rolled, 10-3. Alcides Escobar knocked in two runs and scored twice for the Royals, who have won a season-high seven straight games.

Chris Getz, Melky Cabrera and Alex Gordon added an RBI apiece for Kansas City, which hasn't won eight in a row since starting the 2003 campaign with nine consecutive wins.

Teaford (2-0), making the second start of his big-league career, gave up one run on four hits to pick up the win. He struck out four and walked two.

Alex Rios hit a solo homer for the White Sox, who have lost seven in a row and nine of 11 overall. Zach Stewart (2-5) allowed five runs on 11 hits over five innings to take the loss.

Today, Chicago starts 26-year-old lefty John Danks, who's winless in three starts since a complete-game defeat of Seattle on Aug. 27.

The Austin, Texas native allowed three hits and struck out 10 in that 3-0 victory, but has given up 26 hits and 21 runs in 15 2/3 subsequent innings against Detroit, Minnesota and Detroit again.

He is 3-0 in 10 career starts against the Royals with a 2.45 earned run average in 62 1/3 innings.

Danks is just 2-8 in 12 road starts in 2011.

The Royals have won nine of their 14 matchups with the White Sox this season.