Ryan Bergert has enjoyed a solid start to his Kansas City tenure and now has a chance to help the Royals continue their home dominance of the Chicago White Sox.
The 25-year-old rookie right-hander will seek a third straight solid start Sunday afternoon for the Royals, who can sweep this three-game set with a 14th consecutive home win over the White Sox.
Bergert (1-1, 2.87 ERA) has helped an injury-plagued rotation by allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings in each of his two starts since coming from San Diego at the trade deadline last month. The Royals acquired Bergert in a deal that sent backup catcher Freddy Fermin to the Padres. This will be the first Royals’ home start for Bergert, who has yielded six hits, three walks and has struck out 10 in facing Boston and Minnesota with his new club.
The Royals lost both games, but that didn’t dim the enthusiasm of Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro about Bergert.
“He’s throwing the ball exceptionally well,” Quatraro told the club’s official website of Bergert, who has made 13 appearances and nine starts since his major league debut on April 26. “We’re really happy with that. We think he merits continuing to get starts.”
Sunday will mark Bergert’s first look at the White Sox, who have been outscored 65-15 during a 13-game losing streak at Kansas City. Chicago last won there on Sept. 6, 2023.
On Saturday, John Rave and Mike Yastrzemski hit solo homers and Michael Lorenzen came off the injury list to throw four scoreless innings in Kansas City’s 6-2 victory. Trying to reach a wild-card position in the American League, the Royals are back above .500 and are amid a 12-5 stretch at home. They have won four of their past five games overall.
Bobby Witt Jr. singled Saturday and is batting .515 during a 17-game hitting streak against the White Sox.
“He unbelievable,” teammate Noah Cameron told the Royals’ official website about Witt.
However, Witt is 3-for-11 with four strikeouts against Sunday’s scheduled Chicago starter, Davis Martin (4-9, 4.17 ERA), who has a 1-7 record and 5.14 ERA on the road this season.
Martin yielded four runs and seven hits during 4 1/3 innings of the White Sox’s 10-0 loss at Kansas City on May 8.
However, the right-hander, who pitched into the sixth inning and was charged with three runs during Chicago’s 6-4 home win over Cleveland on Aug. 10, gave up only solo homers to Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino, while striking out seven with a walk, over six innings of a 7-2 victory against the Royals on June 6. He did not figure into the decision.
It’s uncertain if Pasquantino, who had five hits and nine RBIs in three games entering Saturday’s contest, will be available after he left the game early with a heat-related illness.
For Chicago, with another hit Saturday, Lenyn Sosa is batting .323 in his last 17 games. However, the White Sox’s potential double-play combination of the future in rookies Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth are a combined 3-for-15 in the series.
They are part of the promising youth movement for Chicago, but the White Sox still are 35 games below .500 and have totaled three runs during a three-game losing streak. The team has lost 10 of the last 12 overall.
“We are still very much figuring out how this group is going to work together,” Chicago manager Will Venable said.
–Field Level Media
