The Chicago White Sox will need more than just Luis Robert Jr. to produce offense as they head into the opener of a three-game series Tuesday against the visiting Cleveland Guardians.

Robert drove in or scored six of the seven runs in Chicago’s three-game series against the Houston Astros last weekend.

That wasn’t enough to keep the White Sox from losing two out of three to drop 14 games under .500.

Robert, a Gold Glove-winning outfielder in the 2020 season, has set the bar high for his teammates in a number of ways. White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said he’s been most impressed with the improvement in Robert’s plate discipline.

“He has very little weaknesses when it comes to what type of pitches he can hit,” Grifol said. “He can hit breaking balls out of the ballpark. He can hit all kinds of pitches. He just has to make sure they’re in the strike zone. He’s doing a really good job of preparing himself to do that.”

After a rough 16-game stretch to end April, when Robert batted .091 with five hits and 20 strikeouts, he is batting .422 in May with six home runs and 14 RBIs.

Robert said a major difference this season has been the ability to continue with his offseason training regimen in the batting cage.

“Those are drills that I do with my personal trainer and my personal hitting coach during the offseason,” he said. “I haven’t been able to incorporate those to my work here, but now I was able to do it.”

The Guardians have their own red-hot hitter in first baseman Josh Naylor, who blasted go-ahead home runs in the eighth inning of the past three games, helping Cleveland take two of three against the visiting Los Angeles Angels.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Naylor is the first player since 1961 to hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later in three straight games.

“You have to learn how to ride the wave,” Naylor said. “Sometimes it’s not going to be going well and sometimes it’s going to be going off the charts, but you’ve got to stay even-keeled.”

Naylor poured fuel on an offense that was limited to three runs or fewer in 24 of the first 37 games, but combined for 16 runs against the Angels.

“I think he’s like that spark for the team that, whenever he’s going, gets that energy going,” Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez said. “I’m really happy for him to see the results that he has had the last couple of games because I know he works really hard and he’s a really good player.”

Right-hander Shane Bieber is set to start on the mound for Cleveland.

Bieber (3-1, 2.61 ERA) has posted three consecutive sharp outings, most recently holding the Detroit Tigers scoreless on seven hits over six innings in a 2-0 win last Tuesday.

Bieber has made 17 starts in his career against the White Sox, going 8-4 with a 2.64 ERA.

The White Sox originally were scheduled to start Lance Lynn in the series opener, but Grifol said after the 4-3 loss to the Astros on Sunday that he had not determined his rotation for the Cleveland series.

–Field Level Media

The Detroit Tigers will have their two most effective starters lined up for a two-game home series that begins Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Michael Lorenzen will start the first game of the series before ace Eduardo Rodriguez takes the mound on Wednesday afternoon. Rodriguez has allowed just two runs in his last six outings.

Lorenzen (1-2, 4.18 ERA), signed to a one-year contract as a free agent during the offseason, has delivered two stellar performances this month after an uneven start. He limited both the New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians to one run in seven innings, although he was a hard-luck loser against the Guardians on Tuesday in a 2-0 defeat.

Lorenzen relied on a changeup to set up his other pitches, throwing 25 of them among his 98 pitches.

“The changeup is my pitch,” Lorenzen said. “I can rely on it heavily and when I don’t have it, it can really be a battle.”

Lorenzen, who spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, has plenty of familiarity with the Pirates. He has faced them 42 times in his career, mostly in relief, posting a 6-2 record and 2.96 ERA.

The Tigers had to work hard just to beat the Mariners once in a three-game weekend series. After being outscored a combined 14-2 in the first two games, the Tigers rallied for a 5-3 win in the series finale. The go-ahead run was scored in the seventh inning when Nick Maton was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

“You never want to get swept. But that was big for us to salvage this one before the off day and build some momentum going into the Pirates series,” Tigers catcher Jake Rogers said.

Pirates right-hander Luis Ortiz (0-1, 3.60 ERA) will make his second start of the season. He gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, but only two of the runs were earned.

The Rockies benefitted from a throwing error as well as a fielder’s choice that could have resulted in an inning-ending double play.

“I felt pretty good,” Ortiz said through an interpreter. “I think I attacked the zone pretty good with my good stuff. I stayed down in the zone, got my ground balls. There was some other stuff I can’t control, but I threw the ball really good.”

Ortiz is seeking his first career victory. He made four starts last season, going 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA.

The Pirates got a masterful pitching performance from Mitch Keller on Sunday. He struck out 13 in seven innings as Pittsburgh blanked the Baltimore Orioles 4-0.

Pittsburgh had lost 11 of its previous 12 games. The only other victory in the stretch was a 2-0 shutout of Colorado on May 8 in a game Keller started.

The four-run output was the Pirates’ highest in 13 games. Their offense had produced just 18 runs during the slide.

“Early in the year, we were kicking peoples’ (tails). Now, we’re not having some luck,” Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes said. “You just have to move forward and can’t really dwell on it too much. You just have to take it pitch by pitch each day. Just continue to play hard and things will even out.”

–Field Level Media

The Oakland Athletics have reached agreement to put their new ballpark on part of the site of the current Tropicana property along the Las Vegas Strip.

Bally’s Corp. announced Monday that, in conjunction with Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc., it has reached a binding agreement with the A’s for the site.

Plans call for a 30,000-seat ballpark projected to draw an attendance of more than 2.5 million people per year, per Bally’s. Previous reports estimated the cost of the stadium at $1.5 billion, with $395 million in public financing.

Under the agreement, Bally’s and GLPI will set aside about nine acres of the 35-acre parcel at Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue for the A’s or a related stadium authority. Before ground can be broken on a stadium, legislation must be approved for public financing, and Major League Baseball must grant approval for the A’s to leave Oakland.

“We are excited about the potential to bring Major League Baseball to this iconic location,” said A’s president Dave Kaval in a news release. “We are thrilled to work alongside Bally’s and GLPI, and look forward to finalizing plans to bring the Athletics to Southern Nevada.”

Given the team’s inability to strike a deal to build a modern ballpark in Oakland, Major League Baseball has given its blessing to the A’s. Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement last month, “We support the A’s turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year.”

The Athletics have played in Oakland since 1968 after previous stays in Philadelphia (1901-54) and Kansas City (1955-67). Oakland’s average attendance of 9,449 ranks last in the major leagues this year.

Entering play Wednesday, the A’s are 9-33 and already 17 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers in the American League West.

–Field Level Media

Infielder Matt McLain is set to make his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of their three-game series at Colorado on Monday.

A middle infielder with multiple games at shortstop and second base, McLain destroyed Triple-A pitching in Louisville to start the season. He was ranked as the Reds No. 5 prospect by MLB.com.

He was hitting .348 with 12 home runs in 138 at-bats before the promotion. His on-base percentage was .474 and he’s tops in the International League in OPS (1.184), RBIs (40) and total bases (98). He also has 10 stolen bases.

To make room on the roster, first baseman Joey Votto was transferred to the 60-day injured list and outfielder Jason Friedl (left oblique strain) landed on the 10-day injured list.

McLain, 23, had 17 home runs and 27 stolen bases at Double-A Chattanooga in 2022.

Primarily a shortstop at UCLA, McLain was the 17th pick in the 2021 draft.

–Field Level Media

A return home was just what the Minnesota Twins needed, and now the American League Central leaders will see if they can apply what they have learned into their next road trip.

The Twins won consecutive home series against the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs, and another National League team awaits this week with the opener of a three-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.

The game also will open a six-game Southern California trip that includes a return to American League play with three games against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Twins put on an offensive show this past weekend, matching a season high with 11 runs scored against the Cubs on Saturday before topping that Sunday in a 16-3 victory over Chicago. Minnesota scored 29 runs against the Cubs, which is a Target Field record for a three-game series.

On Sunday, Trevor Larnach and Joey Gallo each hit a home run in a seven-run third inning, and Michael Taylor homered in a seven-run eighth. Former Dodger Kyle Farmer had three hits for Minnesota.

“Hitting is contagious,” Farmer said on the Bally Sports North broadcast. “When one person puts a good at-bat together, you follow it with another one and another one and another one, and you saw that (Sunday). It was fun, and we have to go out to L.A. with the same approach.”

The Twins were coming off a 2-4 trip before they corrected themselves at home.

Right-hander Pablo Lopez (2-2, 3.47 ERA) is set to take the mound for Minnesota on Monday to continue the charge for a workhorse starting pitching staff. Twins starters have a major league-best 233 2/3 innings pitched, leaving the bullpen as fresh as any in baseball.

Lopez is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers, including a six-inning start last season when he gave up two runs in a no-decision.

Los Angeles right-hander Noah Syndergaard (1-3, 6.12) is in line to start Monday after pitching just one inning Tuesday at Milwaukee because of a right index finger injury.

Syndergaard has faced the Twins just once in his career, in a 2019 start when he picked up the win with a 5.14 ERA after giving up four runs over seven innings.

After a bumpy ride to start the season, the Dodgers’ pitching staff has led the way to a five-game winning streak and victories in 13 of the last 15 contests. The Dodgers had a 4.61 staff ERA in April but have an NL-best 2.61 mark in May as they enter their first interleague game of the season.

The Dodgers will enter Monday off a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres in a series in which the pitching staff gave up just four runs.

“That’s exactly how you win: pitching and playing defense,” said the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, who hit a two-run home run in a 4-0 victory Sunday. “We have a really good staff and a really good defense, and we were able to put it together. We hit when we need to, and we got some wins.”

Dodgers catcher Will Smith was off Sunday but is expected to return Monday on a five-game hitting streak. He is 8-for-19 (.421) during the streak, with two home runs and five RBIs.

–Field Level Media

The Philadelphia Phillies left Denver following a frustrating 4-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson was ejected for arguing balls and strikes, while Bryce Harper was ejected following an altercation with Rockies pitcher Jake Bird. On top of that, Philadelphia went an unfathomable 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position and 10 left on base.

In the end, it was only one loss, and it followed a five-game winning streak.

The Phillies will now look to rebound when they open a three-game series against the host San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

Thomson was thrown out after Kyle Schwarber was called out on strikes in the sixth inning. The mild-mannered Thomson had not been ejected since taking over as the Phillies’ manager last season.

“I just told (plate umpire Ryan Wills), it felt like a similar pitch that was called a ball before,” Schwarber said. “I spoke my opinion on what I thought the call should have been. I didn’t want to cross any lines there. Obviously there was a lot of game left to be played.”

Philadelphia will hand the ball to left-hander Bailey Falter (0-6, 5.75 ERA) in the series opener.

In Falter’s last start — against the Boston Red Sox — he gave up six hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings. Falter was perfect through three innings and then faced nine batters in the fourth.

“All I know is I have a lot to do here,” Falter said after the outing.

Falter has faced the Giants just once in his career, allowing one run on two hits in three innings of relief on June 18, 2021.

On Sunday, J.T. Realmuto was a bright spot, as he went 2-for-4 with a double after missing Saturday’s game with a sprained pinky finger. The injury occurred on Friday following a headfirst dive into third base.

After winning the opener of a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants dropped the final three games.

On Sunday, Arizona earned a walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth when Tyler Rogers allowed a game-ending double to Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

“We generally play our defenders to the most likely spot the ball is going to be hit, based on spray charts,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “(Blake) Sabol did everything he could to hit the cutoff man and have a play at the plate, but we weren’t able to convert.”

The Giants only have 17 wins through their first 40 games this season, but believe they should have more.

“The wins haven’t been coming our way, but we’ve been in pretty much every single game this season,” Sabol said. “The games are there for the taking. It’s just a couple more shutdown innings and a couple more timely hits. Still like 120 games left, so still a lot of baseball left to play.”

Alex Wood (0-0, 2.45) is scheduled to start for the Giants on Monday.

Wood is 3-3 with a 3.79 ERA in 15 career appearances (10 starts) against Philadelphia.

Mike Yastrzemski ran the bases Sunday and could return during the upcoming series against the Phillies. He had been struggling with a strained left hamstring.

Joc Pederson (hand) also may be available off the bench.

–Field Level Media

The reeling San Diego Padres are desperately in need of a jump start.

Enter the Kansas City Royals.

The Padres return home Monday night riding a five-game losing streak that climaxed over the weekend with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Overall, the Padres have lost seven of their last eight games — dropping San Diego four games below .500 at the quarter-mark of the season.

And Sunday, the Padres got shut out for the sixth time this season, one shy of the league-worst New York Mets.

The start of the season has become something of an embarrassment for a Padres team carrying the high expectations of a $292 million salary. Yes, they have four proven stars at the top of the order in Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts and proven designated hitters in the right/left tandem of Nelson Cruz and Matt Carpenter. But they are also last in the major leagues with a Mendoza-line batting average with runners in scoring position.

After Sunday’s loss at Dodger Stadium – capping a series in which the Padres scored four runs in the three losses — Padres manager Bob Melvin discussed the plight of the Padres.

“It doesn’t look good when you don’t get any hits,” said Melvin. “We haven’t been able to sustain it. Until we sustain it, we’re not the team we expected to be. The offense has not taken hold with any consistency. It’s time to get home and regroup.”

And what better team to “regroup” against than the Royals, who at 12-30 have the second-worst record in the major leagues. Actually, the three-game series against the Royals represents the possible opening of a window of opportunity for San Diego. After closing the six-game homestand with three against the Red Sox, the Padres hit the road for a nine-game trip to Washington (last in the National League East), the New York Yankees (fourth in the American League East) and Miami (also below .500).

The Royals-Padres series starts Monday night with Kansas City’s Brad Keller (3-3, 4.31 ERA) going against San Diego’s Michael Wacha (3-1, 4.82) in a match of right-handers.

Before being swept by the Brewers over the weekend in a three-game series in Milwaukee, the Royals had won four of five games against the A’s and White Sox.

“We’ve been playing better,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “We’ve got a lot of younger players who are still finding their way. I see improvement.”

The 6-foot-5, 27-year-old Keller has a 1.765 WHIP and a .266 opponents’ batting average going into his ninth start of the season. Keller has given up nine runs (eight earned) on 20 hits and 13 walks with nine strikeouts over 14 2/3 innings his past three starts. He has given up a league-worst 32 walks in 39 2/3 innings this season with a poor 0.91-to-one strikeout to walk ratio. He has worked one inning across two previous appearances against the Padres, allowing a run on four hits and two walks with one strikeout.

“It’s command with Brad,” said Quatraro. “He depends on his breaking ball a lot. When he has it working, he’s got the weapons.”

Wacha will be making his eighth start for the Padres and has a 1.339 WHIP and a .257 opponents’ batting average. Over his last three starts, Wacha has given up four runs on nine hits and six walks in 17 innings for a 2.12 ERA and a 0.882 WHIP. Wacha is 3-2 lifetime in 10 games (nine starts) against the Royals with a 3.51 ERA, a 1.119 WHIP and a .255 OBA.

–Field Level Media