Guthrie Stands Between Sox and Sweep - Game Preview & Lineups 5/21

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Notorious White Sox nemesis Jeremy Guthrie is the last hurdle between the White Sox and A) a sweep of the Royals, and B) getting back to .500 after sitting between one and three games below during each of the last 11 days when the two teams meet in Wednesday's series finale at Kaufmann Stadium at 7:05 p.m.

Guthrie's numbers against the White Sox are impressive — at least relative to his career mark — as he sports a 3.98 ERA for his career against them compared to 4.26 overall. Numbers over a specific set of years don't mean as much when a roster has as much turnover as this particular brand of White Sox has had, and in one start against the 2014 team, Guthrie went 5.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

The White Sox — a much healthier unit way back on that April 4 meeting — made the right-hander throw 111 pitches in that short outing.

Overall it's been a mixed bag of success for Guthrie across nine starts this season, which, I guess, kind of sums up his career. He's been alternating successful outings with subpar ones, and most recently allowed four earned runs over eight innings in a 4-0 loss to the Orioles.

Despite two straight wins, the White Sox's bullpen has had a taxing few days and it will be Jose Quintana's duty to ensure the burden of victory isn't placed on their shoulders again. Scott Down has thrown in four straight games (and perhaps displayed the effects of that workload Tuesday night), Jake Petricka has pitched in the last two (albeit while throwing only 12 pitches total), Zach Putnam has tossed 33 pitches in the last two days, and Ronald Belisario has thrown 38, including a nerve-wracking first go at the closer role in Tuesday's win.

The workloads of those three do mean, however, that Daniel Webb is fresh and the newly-recalled Javy Guerra has also yet to pitch. Quintana hasn't given up more than three earned runs in any of his last five outings (and only twice this season), but only lasted five innings in Friday's win over the Astros.

Efficiency + Productivity = Series Sweep & Rested Bullpen

White Sox Lineup:

  1. Adam Eaton - CF
  2. Gordon Beckham - 2B
  3. Conor Gillaspie - 3B
  4. Dayan Viciedo - RF
  5. Adam Dunn - 1B
  6. Alexei Ramirez - SS
  7. Paul Konerko - DH
  8. Alejandro De Aza - LF
  9. Tyler Flowers - C

Jose Quintana - SP

Kansas City Royals Lineup:

  1. Norichika Aoki - RF
  2. Alcides Escobar - SS
  3. Eric Hosmer - 1B
  4. Billy Butler - DH
  5. Alex Gordon - LF
  6. Danny Valencia - 3B
  7. Lorenzo Cain - CF
  8. Pedro Ciriaco - 2B
  9. Brett Hayes - C

Jeremy Guthrie - SP

Where to Watch: 7:05 p.m. CT on CSN Chicago

 

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