Royals vs. White Sox
Chicago, IL – Jake Peavy’s career with the Chicago White Sox got off to a promising start late last season, but his rocky first month of 2010 has created concern about his transition to the AL.
Gil Meche’s April was even worse.
Each veteran right-hander will be looking for his first win Monday night as Meche’s Kansas City Royals continue an 11-game road trip with the first of three in Chicago.
Oddsmakers from online sports book SPORTSBETTING.com have made the White Sox –170 money line favorites for Monday’s game against the Royals. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 91% of more than 447 bets for this game have been placed on the White Sox -170.
Peavy was on the disabled list with an ankle injury when the White Sox acquired him from San Diego at the July 31 trade deadline. The 2007 NL Cy Young winner returned in time to make three starts before the end of 2009, going 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA.
The results have been drastically different this year. Peavy (0-2, 7.85 ERA) has walked 20 in 28 2-3 innings, perhaps the biggest reason his ERA ranks last in the AL.
Peavy gave up five runs in the first inning of Wednesday’s 6-5 loss at Texas, although he recovered to retire 16 of 18 at one point.
"Anyone watching the game could see it coming together," Peavy said, "but it’s frustrating when you can’t make a pitch in the first inning to minimize that damage. … The end result was frustrating."
Peavy, who also lost his previous outing to Tampa Bay, has not dropped three straight starts since July 2007.
He’ll be trying to steady a White Sox staff that has allowed 35 runs in its last five games. The New York Yankees racked up 16 hits while beating Chicago 12-3 on Sunday to take two out of three in the weekend series.
Only Paul Konerko’s major league-leading 12th home run, a three-run shot, prevented Chicago from a shutout. Konerko has four homers and 10 RBIs in his last four games.
The White Sox (10-15) rank last in the majors with a .223 batting average and their starting pitchers have an AL-worst 5.30 ERA.
The Royals’ biggest problems have been in their bullpen, but Meche (0-2, 10.13) has certainly not helped the cause after starting the season on the disabled list with shoulder problems.
Not only are opponents hitting .338 against Meche, but he has also walked 15 in 18 2-3 innings as Kansas City has lost all four of his starts. The right-hander avoided a decision Wednesday after allowing five runs in six innings of a 6-5 defeat to Seattle.
"I’ve been through my ups and downs, but this is one of the toughest stretches coming out of the gate," Meche said. "I’m not getting to the point where I can throw my off-speed pitches for strikes."
Meche is 8-3 with a 4.00 ERA in 17 career outings against the White Sox.
Even a brilliant effort by reigning AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke wasn’t enough to bring the Royals a victory Sunday. Greinke gave up one run and four hits without a walk in eight innings, but Kansas City lost 1-0 at Tampa Bay.
The Royals (10-15) still managed a four-game split with the major league-leading Rays. Kansas City, in the midst of a season-high 11-game road trip, went 5-4 at U.S. Cellular Field last year.
Kansas City’s Scott Podsednik and Chris Getz both return to Chicago for the first time since spending last year with the White Sox. Getz was traded to the Royals along with injured infielder Josh Fields in exchange for Mark Teahen on Nov. 5, while Podsednik left the White Sox for Kansas City via free agency.
Posted: 5/2/2010 9:47 PM ET