KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Interstat) — Two American League Central teams looking to halt early slides will meet Thursday when the Kansas City Royals host the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals (5-7) will send right-hander Seth Lugo (1-0) to the mound for the series opener. Lugo seeks to build on a strong start to his season as Kansas City returns home after a 2-4 road trip, capped by a 10-2 loss in Cleveland on Wednesday.

Chicago (4-8) will counter with left-hander Anthony Kay (0-0), who makes his first start of the season. The White Sox have lost three straight and seven of their last 10, including a 5-3 loss to Baltimore on Wednesday.

A player to watch for the White Sox is right-hander Sean Burke, who has been a bright spot in the rotation. In his last start Wednesday, he allowed two earned runs over five innings in a no-decision. In his previous outing, he earned a win against Toronto with six innings of one-run ball.

For the Royals, reliever Alex Lange will be a key figure. Lange has been busy, appearing in four games already. He took the loss Wednesday in Cleveland, allowing one run over 2 1/3 innings of relief.

The weather forecast calls for cloudy skies and a game-time temperature of 71 degrees.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is Royals 5, White Sox 3. Kansas City has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under for the game is 9.

Following Thursday’s contest, the teams will continue their four-game series through Sunday. The White Sox then return to Chicago to host Tampa Bay, while the Royals hit the road for series against Detroit and the New York Yankees.