• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Royals send Chen to the bump in Chicago

Sep 23, 2011 - 3:17 PM (Sports Network) - Journeyman lefty Bruce Chen closes out a second consecutive solid season tonight when the Kansas City Royals open a three-game series with the host Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

The 34-year-old native of Panama was a 12-game winner in 33 appearances last season - his second double-digit winning record since debuting with the Atlanta Braves in 1998.

He won a career-high 13 games with Baltimore in 2005.

Chen has pitched for 10 major-league teams overall and has won 59 decisions in 315 appearances, including 167 starts.

He's 2-4 lifetime in 14 meetings with the White Sox, including a 10-5 loss in Kansas City when the two teams last played on Sept. 18. He allowed nine hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings of that one.

For Chicago, rookie Zach Stewart faces the Royals for the third time in a season that he began as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

He was 0-1 in three starts with the Blue Jays then came to Chicago in a July 27 deal that sent Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen to Toronto.

Stewart has won two of six decisions in nine appearances for the White Sox, including a 5-1 loss to the Royals at home on Aug. 12 and a 10-3 loss at Kansas City on Sept. 17.

In the two meetings, he's allowed 18 hits and seven runs in 11 1/3 innings.

On Thursday in Cleveland, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a three-run home run and drove in five as the Indians pounded the White Sox, 11-2, in the finale of a four- game series.

Juan Pierre went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the White Sox, who had won three of four coming into the game and closed out the road portion of their schedule with a mark of 43-38.

Philip Humber (9-9) gave up seven runs on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts in six-plus innings.

On Wednesday in Kansas City, Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead pinch-hit RBI double and Don Kelly added a two-run homer to cap a three-run eighth inning, lifting the Detroit Tigers to a 6-3 win over the Royals to cap a two-game set.

Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur both drove in a run for the Royals, who went 40-41 at home this season. Felipe Paulino lasted five innings and surrendered two runs on six hits while Kelvin Herrera (0-1) got the loss in his first big league appearance as he gave up three runs in the eighth inning.