Red Sox vs. White Sox Preview
CHICAGO (AP) – Tim Wakefield is on the verge of his 200th career victory, though he and the Boston Red Sox will have to end their run of futility against the Chicago White Sox in order to accomplish the feat.
Chicago looks for its seventh straight win over Boston when the teams open a three-game set Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
Wakefield (6-3, 5.15 ERA), in his 19th season, moved to within one of the milestone win by beating Seattle 12-8 on Sunday despite allowing a season-high seven runs in 6 1-3 innings.
The right-hander is 2-0 over his last three starts, but he has a 6.50 ERA in that span while allowing 28 hits and receiving 23 runs of support in 18 innings. Not only must he overcome his recent rough outings in order to earn the historic win, he’ll have to beat the White Sox for the first time since Aug. 25, 2007.
Wakefield didn’t earn a decision in the Red Sox’s 7-4 loss to Chicago on June 1, allowing four runs in six innings. The knuckleballer is 0-2 with a 4.18 ERA in his last six appearances against the White Sox.
Chicago has won 13 of the last 15 meetings with Boston.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Bodog have made the White Sox –106 money line favorites for Friday’s game against the Red Sox. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 67% of more than 1,372 bets for this game have been placed on the Red Sox +100.
Gavin Floyd (8-9, 4.11) earned the victory over Wakefield in June, giving up four runs in 6 2-3 innings, and the two will face each other again Friday.
Floyd is 5-0 with a 3.26 ERA in six career starts versus the Red Sox, and he’s also been stellar in winning his last two outings. He beat Detroit on July 15 after allowing one earned run in 7 2-3 innings, then threw 7 2-3 scoreless innings in defeating Cleveland last Friday.
The right-hander will look to slow down the AL East-leading Red Sox (64-39), who have scored 41 runs over their last five games. Dustin Pedroia homered Thursday to extend his hitting streak to 25 games in a 4-3 loss to Kansas City.
Pedroia is hitting .404 with nine homers during his streak, and he’s reached base in 37 consecutive games. The hit streak is the longest for a second baseman in Red Sox history, and he’s batting .327 in 25 career games against Chicago.
The White Sox (51-52) have won four of five after beating Detroit 2-1 on Wednesday. Alejandro De Aza, called up to replace the struggling Alex Rios, hit his first career home run – a two-run shot in the second inning – in his first at-bat of the season.
De Aza’s callup and Rios’ benching are in addition to Chicago trading pitcher Edwin Jackson and infielder Mark Teahen to Toronto on Wednesday for reliever Jason Frasor and pitcher Zach Stewart.
The White Sox are three games back of the first-place Tigers in the AL Central.
“We continue in the pennant race,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “We’re chasing these people. Hopefully, can continue to play the way we are playing right now. The series is over, now we have to worry about the next one.”
Omar Vizquel is hitting .356 with five doubles lifetime against Wakefield.
David Ortiz, batting .409 with nine RBIs over his last five games, is 7 for 20 with three homers in his career versus Floyd.
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