Buehrle Tries for 100th
Mark Buehrle is anxious to finally notch a long-awaited milestone victory. The Chicago White Sox also would be happy to return to the win column.
Buehrle tries again for his 100th career win, and the slumping White Sox will try to avoid their sixth straight loss when they wrap up a weekend series against the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Oddsmakers have made Chicago -135 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for todays game, the over/under has been set at 9un total runs (Matchup). Our public betting information shows that 53% of bets for this game have been placed on Houston +125 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Buehrle (2-3, 3.99 ERA), who’s trying to become the 12th pitcher in franchise history to register 100 victories, is 0-3 with a 4.73 ERA in seven starts since beating Kansas City seven weeks ago. His only other win this year came when he no-hit Texas on April 18 at U.S. Cellular Field.
But he’s also coming off his worst outing this year. On Tuesday night against the New York Yankees, Buehrle was tagged for season highs of five runs and 11 hits in six innings en route to a 7-3 loss.
"For me, personally, yeah, I like to win. But we are 7-4 in my starts," he told the White Sox’s official Web site. "I’m trying to hold us in there. I’m sick of saying (winning No. 100) is going to happen. Let’s hope it does some time this year."
Buehrle has never pitched against the Astros in the regular season, but did face them twice in the 2005 World Series. In Game 2, the left-hander pitched seven innings, but didn’t get a decision as Chicago (26-32) rallied for a 7-6 win. Buehrle then came on to get the final out in Game 3, a 7-5 victory in 14 innings.
Chicago went on to sweep Houston for its first championship since 1917.
The Astros’ Wandy Rodriguez (3-5, 4.31) will try to win consecutive road starts for just the second time in his career and first since he was a rookie. The left-hander hasn’t done that since June 27 and July 2, 2005, when he defeated Colorado and Cincinnati, respectively.
Facing the Rockies on Tuesday, Rodriguez recorded his first win since May 19. He allowed a run and five hits with seven strikeouts over five innings of Houston’s 4-1 victory.
"I really needed (the road win). I felt like I had pitched well before, but didn’t get it," Rodriguez told the Astros’ official Web site.
Rodriguez, who’s never faced the White Sox, is 1-3 with a 6.28 ERA and .303 opponents batting average this year on the road.
Houston (26-35) is looking for its first three-game winning streak since mid-May after posting a 3-2 victory in the middle game of this set on Saturday.
Lance Berkman’s one-out single in the ninth scored Adam Everett with the go-ahead run after Astros reliever Trever Miller gave up a two-run double to Jim Thome in the eighth.
Eric Munson’s first homer of 2007 gave Houston a 1-0 lead in the second and Mark Lamb’s sacrifice fly in the eighth made it 2-0.
Chicago lost for the 12th time in 14 games and had a players-only meeting after the defeat.
"I feel if you’re having chats, something’s not right," Chicago starter Jon Garland said. "Some things were said that needed to be said."
The White Sox are expected to be without catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who said he likely will drop an appeal of his one-game suspension by MLB for his conduct after being ejected during a loss to the Yankees on Thursday. If Pierzynski sits out, Toby Hall would start.
by: Dave Michaels – thespread.com – Email Us
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