White Sox Start To Jell
It didn’t take long for Ken Griffey Jr. to settle in with the Chicago White Sox, who showed the future Hall of Famer what he’ll be in for as a member of a potential playoff team.
Griffey looks to build off his solid debut with the AL Central-leading White Sox when they continue their three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made Chicago -150 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 9.5 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 80% of bets for this game have been placed on Chicago -150 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
The 38-year-old Griffey drove in two runs and Javier Vazquez won for the first time in seven starts as Chicago (61-47) opened the series with a 4-2 win on Friday.
Griffey was traded to Chicago on Thursday before the non-waiver deadline from Cincinnati and the center fielder made an immediate impact, extending his 12-game hitting streak in the second inning with an RBI single. He then drove in another run in the sixth and also scored in that inning to help the White Sox stay a half-game up in the AL Central on Minnesota, which beat Cleveland on Friday.
"He did just what he always does," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen about Griffey. "It didn’t surprise me at all what he did."
Griffey, who hit seventh in Chicago’s batting order and was removed for a pinch runner in the eighth, has been struggling this season, but he still feels he can help the White Sox make the playoffs. He’s hitting .249 with 15 homers and 55 RBIs this season, but .340 (16-for-47) with four doubles, three home runs, a triple and 11 RBIs in the last 13 games.
The slugger said before the victory that his biggest concern was fitting in with the White Sox, who won a World Series title in 2005. Griffey has never played in the World Series, and hasn’t been in the playoffs since 1997 with Seattle.
"I’m a little nervous," he said. "These guys have done a great job and I just want to help them get to a common goal and that’s winning a title."
The Royals (50-60), meanwhile, had their four-game winning streak snapped in the opener of their nine-game homestand.
Billy Butler had two hits and drove in a run Friday after going 2-for-10 earlier in the week in Kansas City’s three-game sweep at Oakland. He’s hitting .306 (15-for-49) since July 18, including .412 (7-for-17) with eight RBIs against the White Sox during that stretch.
Butler is 2-for-11 with a homer off Mark Buehrle (8-9, 3.69 ERA), who takes the mound for the White Sox on Saturday following one of his shortest outings of the season.
Buehrle lasted five innings on Monday at Minnesota, allowing five runs – four earned – in a 7-0 loss. It was just the third time this season he’s failed to pitch into the sixth inning.
"I just wasn’t as crisp as I’ve been," he told the White Sox’s official Web site.
Buehrle has split his two starts against the Royals this season, losing in Kansas City on July 10 despite allowing just two unearned runs over 7 1-3 innings in a 4-1 loss. He had been 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA in his previous four starts at Kauffman Stadium.
Kyle Davies (4-2, 4.34) counters for the Royals. He allowed one run and six hits over five innings last Sunday in a 6-1 win over Tampa Bay for his first victory since June 17.
The right-hander is 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA in two starts against the White Sox. He pitched 5 2-3 innings against them on July 8, allowing three runs in a 13-inning, 8-7 loss.
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