Yankees vs. White Sox Preview
CHICAGO (AP) – Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen joked before the series opener with the New York Yankees that fans may have been returning their tickets with both teams’ captains out.
His club’s fans sure are getting their money’s worth the way John Danks has been pitching.
Danks tries to win his fifth straight decision Tuesday night when the White Sox look to snap the Yankees’ four-game win streak.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Bodog have made the White Sox -109 money line favorites for Tuesday’s game against the Yankees. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 63% of more than 284 bets for this game have been placed on the Yankees +103.
Chicago (52-55) was without Paul Konerko and New York (65-42) without Derek Jeter in the Yankees’ 3-2 victory Monday in the opener of this four-game set. Guillen joked that fans may not show up upon hearing that both were out and that “some people just returned their tickets.”
Konerko appears set to miss his second straight game due to a bruised left calf, saying he can’t bear any weight on it.
“I don’t expect P.K. to be back (Tuesday) either,” Guillen said. “It’s a manager’s expectation. It’s very sore right now.”
Jeter was out after re-injuring his middle finger Sunday against Baltimore. He felt he could have played Monday, and expects to return Tuesday.
“An extra day will help, because you use your hands when you do everything, hit, throw,” Jeter said. “But, no, I can play.”
Jeter and the Yankees will be up against the red-hot Danks (4-8, 3.79 ERA), 4-0 with a 0.98 ERA in six starts since losing his first eight decisions. Danks matched a career high with 10 strikeouts and allowed one run over six innings Wednesday to notch a 2-1 home win over Detroit.
“I felt like I had as good of stuff as I’ve had all year,” Danks said.
The left-hander is 2-2 with a 7.36 ERA in five career starts against the Yankees, who are a major league-best 23-9 against southpaws.
Robinson Cano is 5 for 10 with a homer against Danks, Mark Teixeira 5 for 9 and Nick Swisher 4 for 10 with a homer. Curtis Granderson, meanwhile, is 1 for 23 against him.
Manager Joe Girardi announced Monday that he is going with a six-man rotation for now to give veterans Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia some extra rest. With Ivan Nova remaining in the rotation, the spotlight will be on Tuesday’s starter, Phil Hughes (1-3, 8.24).
Hughes has gone 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA in four starts since missing nearly three months due to arm fatigue. The Yankees are eager to see him regain the form that saw him win 18 games in 2010.
“I think it’s too early to necessarily give up on Hughesy and say that he’s not going to be an effective starter for us after what he did last year,” Girardi told the Yankees’ official website. “He’s just basically coming out of spring training.”
The right-hander was solid in giving up two runs over six innings Wednesday as he was charged with a 9-2 loss to Seattle.
Hughes has a 1.00 ERA against the White Sox in seven appearances, including three starts. Center fielder Alex Rios, however, is 7 for 16 against him.
New York pulled within one game of AL East-leading Boston on Monday while Chicago lost its third straight to fall 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Tigers in the Central.
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