White Sox Are .500 and Bobby Witt Jr. Is the Only Thing Standing Between Chicago and a Sweep

The Chicago White Sox are at a crossroads nobody expected them to reach this late in May. At 21-21, they're sitting square at .500 for the first time since 2022, and they're about to take another swing at the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night with a chance to complete a series sweep. Anthony Kay is back on the mound, and if the White Sox keep swinging like they have been, the Royals might not have an answer.

Chicago's Offense is Actually Terrifying Right Now

Let's talk about what's actually happening in the White Sox clubhouse. Miguel Vargas cranked two homers in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Mariners. Colson Montgomery went deep too. First baseman Munetaka Murakami is leading the team with 15 home runs. Montgomery has 11. Vargas has nine. That's a lot of lumber.

Anthony Kay, the lefty who's been fueling Chicago's current four-game winning streak, sees what's coming. "They've all been great," Kay said after his five-inning, one-run performance on Saturday. "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."

The White Sox have won 10 of their past 14 games. They're not just getting hot. They're on fire.

Witt Jr. Is Fighting But It Might Not Be Enough

Kansas City won't go quietly. Bobby Witt Jr. just homered in consecutive games and he's hitting .478 (11-for-23) with four homers and six RBIs over his last six contests. Wednesday night, he crushed a two-run shot with two outs in the ninth to pull the Royals within striking distance in a 6-5 loss.

Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro knows the fight isn't over. "That's why you can never count us out, never pack it in. You've got to keep fighting every at-bat, because you don't know which one is going to be the difference maker," he said about Witt Jr.'s blast.

But here's the problem: the Royals have lost five of their past seven games. They've fallen 6-5 to the White Sox in each of the first two games of this series. And while they were limited to just five hits Wednesday, reserve catcher Carter Jensen stayed ready off the bench and went 2-for-2 as a pinch hitter in the seventh.

Kay vs. Bubic Sets Up Thursday's Decider

Anthony Kay (2-1, 4.89 ERA) gets the ball again for Chicago. Back on April 9, Kay was nearly unhittable in Kansas City, scattering three hits with two walks and two strikeouts over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a 2-0 White Sox win. He's 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in two career starts against the Royals.

The Royals are sending out Kris Bubic (3-1, 3.50 ERA), a lefty who was absolutely dominant in his last outing against Chicago on April 10, allowing just two hits in seven shutout innings with 11 strikeouts. Bubic is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in his two May starts. Overall against the White Sox, he's 2-4 with a 2.04 ERA across 12 appearances.

Thursday night at Rate Field, we find out if Chicago's power surge is for real or if Kansas City can finally find an answer. The White Sox smell a sweep. The Royals smell their last chance.

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