Keys to the series, game times as Kansas City Royals play the Chicago White Sox

Following an off day on Monday, the Kansas City Royals begin a three-game set Tuesday night against the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox.

The Royals (45-59) took three of four in a series with the White Sox (62-44) last week in Kansas City.

The White Sox entered this week coming off of a walk-off homer by outfielder and former Royal Brian Goodwin to win the rubber match of a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

The Royals were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend in the first games at the Rogers Centre since 2019.

Series rundown

SCHEDULE: Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. CT; Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. CT; Thursday, 7:10 p.m. CT

PLACE: Guaranteed Rate Field

PITCHING PROBABLES: Tuesday: KC LHP Kris Bubic (3-4, 4.58) vs. CHI RHP Dylan Cease (7-6, 4.14); Wednesday: KC RHP Carlos Hernández (2-1, 4.98) vs. CHI RHP Lucas Giolito (8-7, 3.67); Thursday: KC LHP Daniel Lynch (1-3, 6.95) vs. CHI LHP Dallas Keuchel (7-4, 4.51).

TV: All three games will be broadcast by Bally Sports Kansas City.

RADIO: All three games will air on KCSP Radio (610 AM).

NOTABLE: The Royals fell to 17-34 on the road this season with their three losses in Toronto. … Royals outfielder Edward Olivares has homered in each of his last two starts. He homered in the ninth inning on Sunday, and he also homered in his last start on July 3. He got optioned to Triple-A Omaha after the July 3 start. … White Sox catcher Seby Zavala became the first player in MLB history to hit his first three career home runs in the same game, including a grand slam, on Saturday in Chicago.

Keys to the series

All-Star catcher Salvador Perez earned the Royals Player of the Month award after he led the team in hits (25), home runs (seven) and RBIs (18) in 24 July games. He had five homers in a seven-game stretch from July 24-30.

Infielder Nicky Lopez enjoyed an productive July at the plate. Lopez registered a team-high .338 batting average to go along with a .397 on-base percentage, he ranked fifth and ninth, respectively in the AL in those categories.

The White Sox have made several trades to bolster their roster at the MLB trade deadline. Second baseman Cesar Hernández came from the Indians. He has hit a single-season career-high 18 home runs so far this year.

They also bolstered their lineup with the addition of Eloy Jimenez last week. Jimenez, who’d been on the injured list all season, hit a game-changing home run against the Royals last week in Kansas City.

The White Sox bullpen also got deeper with the acquisition of closer Craig Kimbrel, who has 371 career saves in the majors. Kimbrel has converted 23 of 25 save opportunities this season. He joined a bullpen that already included former Royal Liam Hendriks, an All-Star closer who has 26 saves this season.