With the All Star break over, the second half of the 2015 MLB season continues on Friday. One of the top games of the day is an AL Central showdown between the division leading Kansas City Royals and bottom dwellers the Chicago White Sox, who begin a four game series. The teams are playing four games in order to make up for a postponed game, so they will play a double header on Friday.
Kansas City Royals (52-34) vs Chicago White Sox (41-45), Friday, July 17, 2:10 PM. ET. Game 1
Pitching Analysis.
The Kansas City Chiefs will give Edison Volquez the start in the afternoon game, while the White Sox will start Jeff Samardzija.
Volquez had an impressive first half, and he is 8-4 with a 3.31 ERA in 18 starts. He is 4-0 in his last seven starts, but he has three consecutive no decisions. Despite the fact that he has been unable to get a win in his last three starts, the Royals are 2-1 during the stretch. Volquez has allowed one run in his last two starts, and he is 1-1 against the White Sox this season.
Samardzija has also pitched well this season, he has a 6-4 record, with a 4.02 ERA in 18 starts. He hasn’t lost a start since July 7, and has a 2-0 record since then, with four no decisions. During the time span, the team has gone 3-3, but they won his last two starts, because he gave up only one run in the two games. Smardzija is 0-1 against the Royals this season.
Kansas City Royals (52-34) vs Chicago White Sox (41-45), Friday, July 17, 8:10 PM. ET. Game 2
Pitching Analysis.
The Royals will start Chris Young in the second game, while the White Sox will give John Danks the start.
Young is 7-5 with a 3.00 ERA in 13 starts, he has struggled lately, losing three of his last five starts, with one win and one no decision in the other two games. Prior to the All Star game, he allowed seven runs in his final two games, and the team is hoping that the rest helps him get back on track.
John Danks has struggled during the season, and he currently has a 4-8 record, with a 5.30 ERA. His biggest problem this season has been inconsistency, in some games, he has been dominant, and in other games, he has been forced out of the game early. To give a better example, prior to his last start, he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Baltimore Orioles, and in his next start, he allowed six runs in four innings. The White Sox will be hoping to have the good John Danks for this game and the rest of the season.
Team vs Team Matchup.
The Royals have won four of the six games played between the two teams this season, the Royals are also one of the best hitting teams in the league, and are in the top 10 of all major batting categories. Their biggest problem so far has been their pitching, which is still very good compared to the White Sox. Their starters have been struggling lately, but their bullpen has managed to bail them out.
The White Sox have one of the worst offenses in baseball, which means that they will struggle against the Royals, they are at the bottom or close to the bottom of most offensive categories, and their pitching staff isn’t much better, and they will need everybody at their best to win these two games.
My Pick: The Royals have a pitching and batting advantage over the White Sox, so they are clearly the better team. This is why I’m picking them to sweep the doubleheader on Friday.