65-52 this season

Deja vu tonight? The pitching match up is one fans have seen just slightly over a week ago. And if the results hold as they did on August 6, Chicago fans will be ecstatic. Tonight Robin is sending out the following guys to make sure the outcome is the same as last time:

Alejandro De Aza CF, Youk 3B, Big Donkey 1B, The King DH, Alex Rios RF, AJ Pierzynski C, The Cuban Missile SS, The Cuban Tank LF, Bacon 2B. 

Chris Sale will start for the Sox. He is going for his 15th win of the season. Chris has been good this season. Really good! In his last 13 starts, he is 10-1 with a 2.45 ERA. Additionally, he ranks among top AL pitchers in win percentage, opponents batting average and ERA.

His last start was a win against the Athletics where he allowed just two runs on six hits in just 6.2 innings. Career against the PITAs, Chris is 3-3 with a 2.80 ERA and 29 strikeouts.

51-66 on the season

Ned Yost will send out the following guys hoping for a different outcome than August 6:

Chris Getz 2B, Alcides Escobar SS, Alex Gordon LF, Billy Butler 1B, Salvador Perez C, Lorenzo Cain CF, Jeff Francoeur RF, Brayan Peña DH, Tony Abreu 3B.

Luis Mendoza will start for the Royals tonight. In his last outing, he held the Orioles to a shutout until the seventh inning. Then he allowed three runs on a walk and three hits. He did pick up the win in the game however.

In his career against the White Sox, he is 3-3 with a 4.38 ERA in seven games. The last time he faced the Sox, he limited the Sox to just one run until the seventh inning when he gave up a home run to Paul Konerko. In total, he gave up four runs on seven hits with a walk while he struck out five in 7.1 innings worth of work to take the loss.

Luis hasn’t been all that great at home this season with just two wins and an ERA close to 5.00 in 10 games. However, the Royals have won the last two games he pitched at home. This trend trend of him winning his last couple of home games will hopefully end tonight.

*Notes: Lots of moves for the White Sox today. Paul Konerko was reinstated from the disabled list. Leyson Septimo and Orlando Hudson were put on the disabled list. Brent Morel has been reinstated from the disabled list and assigned to Triple-A Charlotte. Finally, Hector Santiago has been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. 

In Wednesday’s game, Alcides Escobar had two hits and two stolen bases. Big deal? Who cares??? Well, it was the second time he has done that this season, the first time being on July 29 at Seattle. According to Elias, it makes Escobar the first Kansas City shortstop in 25 years to do this since Angel Berroa did it in 2003.