White Sox at A’s
Oakland, CA – John Danks needed some late-game heroics to beat his previous opponent for the first time.
He hasn’t required much help against the Oakland Athletics.
Danks tries to stay undefeated versus the A’s on Sunday afternoon when the Chicago White Sox go for their first series sweep in Oakland in more than 12 years.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook SBG Global have made the White Sox -130 moneyline favorites for Sunday’s game against the A’s. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 57% of more than 163 bets for this game have been placed on the White Sox -130.
Danks (10-8, 4.04 ERA) allowed one run and seven hits in a career high-tying eight innings Tuesday, but it took Alexei Ramirez’s three-run homer in the ninth for Chicago to beat Seattle 3-1. Danks improved to 1-4 lifetime versus the Mariners as the White Sox (60-57) won for the first time this season when trailing heading into the ninth.
"Seeing Danks, the way he was throwing the ball and not giving him anything, there was a little bit of frustration," manager Ozzie Guillen said.
Danks gets the ball in the series finale with a 4-0 record and a 1.38 ERA in four starts against Oakland. It’s his best record against any team.
Plus, the third-year left-hander is 4-1 with a 2.91 ERA in his last seven starts on the road.
He’s looking to help Chicago to its first sweep in Oakland since May 16-18, 1997, following Saturday’s 8-1 victory. The White Sox have won four straight games there after losing 28 of 34.
"Every time we come here something happens, we’re not playing well," Guillen said. "Hopefully this thing will turn around and we start to play better."
The White Sox, who dropped 12 of 15 on the road before winning the first two of this series, also go for their first series win away from U.S. Cellular Field since sweeping Cleveland from June 29-July 1.
While Oakland (51-65) failed in its bid to win four consecutive series, it will try to salvage Sunday’s finale with right-hander Trevor Cahill (6-12, 5.06) on the mound.
The 21-year-old rookie has lost his last four starts, but he is looking to build off one of his more effective performances. Cahill yielded three runs and eight hits over seven innings of Tuesday’s 3-2 loss at Baltimore.
He had lasted seven innings once in his previous eight starts.
"I was happy. I was able to go seven," Cahill said. "That’s what I’ve been trying to do, is go deep in the game and I was really happy I didn’t walk anybody."
Besides not walking a batter for the first time in 12 games, Cahill did not surrender a homer for the first time in 10 starts to snap the third-longest streak in franchise history.
He allowed two runs and three hits over 5 2-3 innings and did not receive a decision in a 6-2 loss at Chicago on June 1.
A’s infielder Adam Kennedy went 5 for 5 on Saturday after going hitless in his first 19 at-bats against the White Sox in 2009. Kennedy tied a franchise record set in 1969 by Sal Bando by recording a pair of five-hit games in the same season.
White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome hit his 563rd career homer Saturday to tie Reggie Jackson for 12th place on the all-time list.
Posted: 8/16/09 6:00AM ET
