Anthony Kay Is About to Get His Wish: Watch the White Sox Power Surge Take Down Kansas City Again

The Chicago White Sox are swinging hot bats and targeting a sweep. Left-hander Anthony Kay gets the ball Thursday night against the Kansas City Royals, and he's already seen what this lineup can do. Five days ago, he watched Miguel Vargas launch two homers and Colson Montgomery connect for another in a 6-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. Now the White Sox want to do it all over again.

"They've all been great," Kay said about his lineup's recent power display. "It's just going to lead to all of them having success. You've got to pitch to at least one of them. It's going to be fun to watch."

Chicago's Bats Are Firing on All Cylinders

The White Sox aren't messing around this May. First baseman Munetaka Murakami leads the charge with a club-leading 15 home runs. Montgomery sits at 11, and Vargas has nine. The numbers tell the story: Chicago is riding a four-game winning streak and has won 10 of their last 14 games. At 21-21, the White Sox are sitting at .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2022, when they finished 81-81.

Montgomery was clutch in Wednesday's win, collecting three hits including a solo homer in the seventh inning to help Chicago hold on. That offensive firepower has been relentless, and it's exactly why the White Sox smell an opportunity for a sweep.

The Royals Are Desperate but Still Dangerous

Kansas City has lost five of its past seven games after dropping the first two games of this series 6-5 each time. But don't count them out yet. Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth on Wednesday to keep things close, and he's absolutely locked in right now. Witt is batting .478 (11-for-23) with four homers and six RBIs over his last six games, including homers in back-to-back contests.

Even Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro knows this team has fight left. "That's why you can never count us out," he said after Wednesday's loss. "You've got to keep fighting every at-bat, because you don't know which one is going to be the difference maker."

Kay Takes the Mound Against Bubic's Dominance

Kay (2-1, 4.89 ERA) delivered five innings of one-run ball against the Mariners on Saturday and was sharp in an April 9 victory at Kansas City, scattering three hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He's 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in two career starts versus the Royals.

Kansas City counters with left-hander Kris Bubic (3-1, 3.50 ERA), who has been nearly unhittable lately. Bubic was dominant in an April 10 home win against Chicago, allowing just two hits in seven shutout innings with one walk and 11 strikeouts. He's 2-4 with a 2.04 ERA in 12 appearances against the White Sox, striking out 56 batters in 61 2/3 innings. Thursday night, the Royals will need every bit of that pedigree to avoid getting swept.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.