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Following a painful defeat to the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox are set to take the field again, determined to even the series and secure a crucial victory. With a win on Thursday or a loss by the Texas Rangers, the White Sox can lock up a playoff spot.
Game Details
The matchup features the Chicago White Sox (81-77) against the Kansas City Royals (68-90) at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 CT, with television coverage on CHSN and radio broadcast on ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM.
White Sox Lineup
Chicago will deploy the same batting order as Wednesday:
- Sam Antonacci, LF
- Kyle Teel, C
- Miguel Vargas, 3B
- Munetaka Murakami, 1B
- Andrew Benintendi, DH
- Tristan Peters, CF
- Chase Meidroth, 2B
- Colson Montgomery, SS
- Braden Montgomery, RF
Sam Antonacci will lead off after going 1-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch on Wednesday. Kyle Teel bats second, coming off a 1-for-3 night with a walk and two RBIs, though he has struggled recently, hitting just 2-for-21 over his last seven games. Miguel Vargas, who left several runners on base in a rough outing, will hit third. Munetaka Murakami slots in at cleanup after a 1-for-4 game with an RBI; he appears to be emerging from a slump, posting a .227/.414/.636 slash line in his last seven contests. Andrew Benintendi follows, and he has a strong track record against Royals starter Randy Dobnak, with two home runs and a 2.400 OPS in five at-bats. Benintendi is the only White Sox batter with substantial experience against Dobnak and could be a key factor. Tristan Peters, hitless in his last 14 at-bats, will bat sixth and look to turn things around. Chase Meidroth, who had a two-hit game, bats seventh with a .370/.433/.630 slash line over his last seven games. Colson Montgomery will hit eighth, on the verge of unwanted history: with three strikeouts on Wednesday, he tied the American League record for strikeouts in a season and is one away from matching the MLB record. He seems likely to break Mark Reynolds' record with four games left. Braden Montgomery completes the lineup.
Royals Lineup
- Carter Jensen, C
- Bobby Witt Jr., SS
- Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B
- Salvador Perez, DH
- Michael Massey, 2B
- Nick Loftin, 3B
- John Rave, RF
- Kyle Isbel, CF
- Isaac Collins, LF
Pitching Matchup
Chicago will send rookie right-hander David Sandlin to the mound in this critical game. Initially, Drew Thorpe was expected to start, but he will remain in the minors for the rest of the regular season. Sandlin has shown flashes of brilliance but also inconsistency in his rookie campaign, owning a 6.29 ERA over seven appearances (five starts).
Kansas City counters with right-hander Randy Dobnak, who is enjoying a breakout season with a career-high 12 starts and a 3.08 ERA. However, his performance has dipped slightly lately, with a 4.14 ERA in his last seven starts. The White Sox will need to chase him from the game early to secure a win.
Matthew Singer is a contributor for White Sox on SI. Before joining SI in 2026, he worked for Heavy as an MLB contributor and Cubs on SI. Singer holds a master's degree in sports journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and has a deep passion for sports.