The set-up: The Royals were within 1 1/2 games of the AL Central lead as recently as July 26 but they've dropping five straight and 10 of their last 12 after a 6-3 loss in Friday's series opener at Chicago. Kansas City is now five games back of Cleveland in the AL Central and while te Royals are just 1 1/2 games out of the final AL wild card spot, four teams are ahead of them, plus Baltimore is one back of KC and Texas two games back. The White Sox still own the AL's worst record at 45-68, but Friday's victory gives them four straight wins.

The pitching matchup: Ian Kennedy (4-8 & 4.83 ERA) starts for KC and James Shields (2-4 & 6.03 ERA) for Chicago. For the most part, 2017 has been a struggle for Kennedy. However, he put together a string of six quality starts in nine outings from June 10 through July 26 (Royals were 8-1), before once again running into trouble. Kennedy was tagged for seven runs (six earned) in six innings in an 11-3 loss to St. Louis on Monday, after giving up four runs in four-plus innings of a 7-2 loss at Baltimore six days earlier. Kennedy is 2-2 with a 4.70 ERA in seven career starts against the White Sox (teams are 4-3). Shields is win-less in six starts since June 29, posting an 8.13 ERA over that stretch. However, Shields is 7-2 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts against the Royals (a team he helped reach the World Series in 2014), with his teams going 8-4.

The pick: Yes, Kennedy has had his ups and downs in 2017 but Shields is all but done. In his one start against KC earlier this year, he was smacked around for six runs on 10 hits in just 4 1/3 innings of a 7-6 Chicago loss. After the Padres and White Sox combined to go 9-24 in his 2016 starts (minus-$1403 against the moneyline), the White Sox are just 2-7 in Shields' starts since returning from the DL in mid-June (4-8 in all his 2017 starts, minus-$237 against the moneyline). Make KC a 10* play.