Enjoying Success
The Chicago White Sox are enjoying success away from home, thanks in part to impressive performances from their young starters.
To continue that trend, the White Sox hand the ball to second-year pitcher John Danks on Wednesday as he tries to help his club complete a three-game sweep of the slumping Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made Chicago -197 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 11 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 77% of bets for this game have been placed on Chicago -197 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Chicago (76-56) has won 11 of its last 14 games, including the first two of its nine-game road trip. After getting six strong innings from 24-year-old Clayton Richard in Monday’s 4-3 win over Baltimore (62-70), Gavin Floyd pitched eight innings of four-hit ball in an 8-3 victory on Tuesday.
"You see him throw in the bullpen session and he is a strong kid and he has the same pace and concentration in the game," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said of the 25-year-old Floyd.
Orlando Cabrera had four hits and drove in two runs, Nick Swisher homered for the fifth time in seven games and Carlos Quentin notched his 100th RBI for Chicago, which pushed its AL Central lead to two games over second-place Minnesota.
Though Swisher left in the fourth inning after fouling a ball off his left leg, Guillen told the White Sox’s official Web site that the outfielder will be in the lineup Wednesday.
The White Sox now will go for their first series sweep at Camden Yards since a four-game set from July 29-Aug. 1, 2005.
Chicago also looks to continue its strong work on the mound behind Danks (10-6, 3.16 ERA), owner of the fifth-lowest ERA in the AL.
However, the 23-year-old allowed three runs and five hits over 6 1-3 innings of a 9-4 home loss to Tampa Bay on Friday. The defeat dropped him to 7-2 with a 3.25 ERA over his last 16 starts.
The left-hander is 6-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 12 road starts.
Danks, who has never pitched at Camden Yards, is 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA in two career starts against the Orioles, including a 5-1 home defeat on April 26, when he allowed two runs and four hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Baltimore dropped to 1-7 on its nine-game homestand with Tuesday’s defeat, and has lost five consecutive games for the fifth time in 2008.
"Any time you come up short, it wears on you," designated hitter Luke Scott, who drove in two runs, told the Orioles’ official Web site.
The Orioles, who last lost six straight during a nine-game skid last Aug. 22-30, will turn to starter Radhames Liz (4-3, 7.32).
The right-hander gave up three runs and a career-high nine hits in 4 2-3 innings on Friday, but left without a decision in a 9-4 home loss to the New York Yankees. It was his first start following a three-week stint at Triple-A Norfolk.
Liz returns to Camden Yards, where he is 2-2 with a 6.47 ERA in six starts.
He’ll get his first look at the White Sox as well as outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his 2,500th career game on Tuesday. Griffey, who has gone 8-for-20 (.400) over his last six games, is a .316 lifetime hitter against the Orioles with 30 homers and 109 RBIs in 125 games.
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