The Chicago White Sox head north of the border to take on the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Friday, July 17, with first pitch set for 7:15 PM ET. Anthony Kay gets the ball for Chicago against Toronto's Spencer Miles in what shapes up as a pitching matchup featuring two arms the Sox will need to lean on. The game airs on Apple TV and can be heard locally on ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM. For a White Sox club still working to build something real, every road game in July carries weight.

Anthony Kay Takes the Mound for Chicago

Kay draws the start for the White Sox in what is a meaningful opportunity to demonstrate he can hold his own against a Toronto lineup that carries real firepower. Manager-assembled or not, the Blue Jays put Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the two-hole and George Springer cleaning up fourth — that is not a lineup you can nibble around. Kay will need to attack the zone and keep the ball out of the seats at Rogers Centre, a ballpark that does not forgive mistakes up in the zone.

Spencer Miles gets the call for Toronto. Without ERA or win-loss data available heading into this one, the matchup is genuinely difficult to project on paper — which makes execution on the night the only thing that matters.

White Sox Starting Lineup at Toronto

• Sam Antonacci, LF
• Munetaka Murakami, 1B
• Miguel Vargas, 3B
• Colson Montgomery, SS
• Andrew Benintendi, DH
• Kyle Teel, C
• Braden Montgomery, RF
• Tristan Peters, CF
• Chase Meidroth, 2B

Keys to Watch for the White Sox

Can Colson Montgomery Produce in the Middle of the Order?

Batting cleanup for Chicago, Colson Montgomery slots into the most important spot in the White Sox lineup. That is a statement of trust from the organization in its young shortstop. How he handles Toronto's pitching — particularly with runners on base — will do a lot to shape the offensive output for the Sox on this night.

Murakami and Vargas Need to Set the Table

Munetaka Murakami hitting second and Miguel Vargas third gives the White Sox a genuine threat at the top of the order. If those two can get on base and create traffic ahead of Montgomery, Chicago has a chance to put crooked numbers on the board early. Against a Toronto rotation that features a pitcher without a well-established track record available, the Sox should look to be aggressive.

Keeping Guerrero Jr. in the Park

This is the obvious one, but it cannot be overstated. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. batting second for Toronto is a problem Kay will face early and often. Walking him to face Kazuma Okamoto and Springer is not a great alternative. Kay has to make quality pitches and trust his defense behind him.

Broadcast Information

Friday's game at Rogers Centre can be seen on Apple TV and heard on ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM for White Sox fans in the Chicago area.

Prediction

This one has the feel of a low-scoring game that hinges on a single swing. The Blue Jays lineup is deep enough that Toronto has the edge at home, but the White Sox have the pieces in this lineup — Murakami, Vargas, Montgomery — to steal a road win if Kay keeps them in it through five or six innings. Call it Toronto 4, Chicago 3 in a game that goes down to the final few outs.