The Cubs lineup had a bit of a different look Friday, going up against White Sox right-hander Adrian Houser, who is in the midst of the best season of his career. Switch-hitting Vidal Bruján got the start at third base over Matt Shaw, and left-handed hitting Reese McGuire started behind the plate.

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During their 3-1 loss to the Mets on July 12, the Royals were surprised that a replay review of a stolen base by Bobby Witt Jr. was overturned and he was called out. Witt was ruled to have come off the base at some point.

The 32-year-old pitcher made his big league debut in 2018 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has since pitched for the Rays and Baltimore Orioles in MLB. Overall, he has recorded a 3.65 ERA across 70 total appearances out of the bullpen throughout his big league career.

Matt Shaw and Pete Crow-Armstrong hit solo shots for the Cubs, who entered tied with Milwaukee for first place in the NL Central and the best record in the majors.

Royals -158, White Sox +133; over/under is 8 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago White Sox face the Kansas City Royals with a 1-0 series lead. Chicago has gone 15-17 in home games and 21-43 overall.

The Chicago Cubs have had a great start to the second half, having a 4-2 record, and will look to take the rubber match this afternoon versus the Kansas City Royals.

Vinnie Pasquantino hit two of Kansas City’s four two-run homers Wednesday and doubled on a 3-for-4 afternoon, leading the Royals past the Chicago Cubs 8-4. Salvador Perez and rookie Tyler Tolbert also went deep as the Royals took two of three games from the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

This round of the City Series arrives as the July 31 trade deadline nears. The Cubs are in a position to buy while the White Sox will be looking to sell.

Rich Hill is back in the majors once again, and this time he’s making history. The 45-year-old left-hander has been called up by the Kansas City Royals, marking the 14th team of his two-decade career. That ties him with Edwin Jackson for the most teams played for in MLB history.