CHICAGO – In 2024 and ‘25, the Royals won 22 of 26 games against the White Sox, a continuous drubbing that helped Kansas City in the American League Central and its playoff pushes while pushing Chicago to the bottom of baseball in standings and record, with its 223 total losses over those two years.
So far in 2026, that isn’t the case on the South Side.
With their 6-5 loss to the White Sox on Wednesday night at Rate Field, the Royals are 2-4 against the Sox so far in ‘26, with one more game to play in this series on Thursday and two more series in June and September.
The AL Central is a muddled mix of teams, with only the Guardians at the top above .500 at 24-21. The White Sox (21-21) moved to .500 with Wednesday’s win. The three other teams, including the Royals, are all 19-24, with just four games separating the top and bottom of the division.
So as frustrating as these past two games have been for the Royals, and as frustrating as the season has been just over a quarter of the way through so far, all hope is not lost when it comes to the division.
“They all feel like the same games,” first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “I don’t know about you guys watching them. But they’re just close, competitive games. And I think that’s what this division is right now. I think that’s why we’re not out of this thing by any stretch. So just got to play good baseball and keep moving forward. We’ll see all these teams again.”
The Royals will look to salvage the series finale on Thursday, but to do so, they need things to go differently. And it starts with the pitching. Starter Seth Lugo was not sharp Wednesday, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings – and needing 92 pitches to get through those five frames.
The Royals have gotten just one quality start from their starter in the last six games, and Lugo only going five innings Wednesday is the bare minimum in his mind.
Lugo had to work through a 26-pitch first inning in which frustration with the strike zone was visible, however no challenges in the Automated Ball Strike Challenge System were used on the Royals’ side. Against Munetaka Murakami, Lugo threw three consecutive pitches at the top of the zone that all looked like strikes but were called balls.
Both teams began using their challenges more throughout the game, with both ending the game with one remaining, but that first inning loomed large in Lugo’s mind.
“Just getting better about how we're playing the game, the different rules and how much of a difference that makes,” Lugo said. “For years, you get one off the plate and you know it’s not there, but the batter can’t do nothing. If they’re going to get us, we’ve got to get them. We’ve got to be more strategic with how we use it and make sure that we know what we’re doing out there.
“... If we’re going to be more fair and have the challenge system, we’ve got to use it the right way.”
A challenge the Royals were successful with came in the fourth inning on a ball overturned for a strike, which then led to one of the most important strikeouts of Lugo’s career: No. 1,000. Tristan Peters struck out looking on a fastball for the milestone moment, as Lugo became the 46th active pitcher to reach 1,000 strikeouts. It was part of a big shutdown fourth inning after the Royals had tied the game in the top of the frame, but mistakes loomed larger than milestones by the time Wednesday was over.
“It means a lot, but that’s not my goal right now,” said Lugo, who has a 7.59 ERA in his last four starts since April 26. “A win would have meant more today. But I think for the rest of my life, it’s something to definitely look at. But for right now, the goal is winning. That’s where my priorities are.”
That’s how the Royals feel right now as a whole, needing to put together stretches of wins to work their way back to .500 as they saw the White Sox do on Wednesday. A three-run comeback in the fourth and Bobby Witt Jr.’s two-run homer in the ninth were not enough, with seven left on base and the lineup going 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
“I think the approaches were pretty good,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “But they threw some pretty good stuff at us, too, in those situations.”