Guardians, White Sox look to get back on track with AL Central series

Chicago White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay and righty Gavin Williams of the Cleveland Guardians have helped pitch their respective teams to successful starts this season.

While their most recent outings might suggest otherwise, the pair will aim to regroup on Monday as Chicago hosts Cleveland in the opener of a key three-game series in the American League Central.

Cleveland leads upstart Chicago by one game in the division as the White Sox and Guardians get set to meet seven times over the next 13 games.

The White Sox are aiming to reset after stumbling through a 1-5 road trip against the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers. Chicago suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of the Tigers. Sunday's 5-4, 10-inning loss saw the White Sox squander leads in both the ninth and 10th innings.

"We've just got to regroup," White Sox right-hander Davis Martin said. "I'm glad we're going home and able to get back to (Rate Field) and put the pieces back together, play our style of baseball and get right back to it."

The Guardians are itching to face their Central rivals, too.

"Hopefully, we go there and dominate them," pitcher Slade Cecconi said. "But whatever happens, we're gonna take it, we're gonna learn from it, we're gonna be better from it whenever it's over."

Chicago managed just eight runs in the series in Detroit. Braden Montgomery and Tristan Peters had two hits apiece on Sunday.

Cleveland fell to 2-4 to start a nine-game road trip after losing at Houston 2-1 on Sunday. Petey Halpin tripled for the Guardians' lone extra-base hit among four in the game.

Kay (6-2, 4.61 ERA) delivered a sparkling May, going 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA over six starts. His three June starts have been inconsistent, however. Kay followed a June 12 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers with Wednesday's road loss to the Yankees, when he scattered four runs and six hits in four innings with one walk and two strikeouts.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Williams (9-4, 3.83) "wasn't himself" during a 9-4 road loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. Cleveland pushed Williams' turn in the rotation back by one day to ensure he would face the White Sox, but the Guardians' wins leader stumbled, spacing seven runs and seven hits -- both season highs -- in five innings.

Williams walked two and struck out four.

"I had plenty of time to prepare. Touched the mound plenty of times," Williams said. "I've got to throw more strikes."

Another objective: keeping the White Sox in the ballpark. After yielding three home runs over five May starts covering 33 innings, Williams has surrendered six long balls in 15 1/3 innings over three starts to begin June.

Kay has faced Cleveland in two career relief appearances, compiling zero decisions and a 0.00 ERA over 1 1/3 innings.

Williams is 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in three starts against the White Sox with 14 strikeouts in as many innings.

--Field Level Media