White Sox Try to Rebound
The Chicago White Sox’s disappointing season took a turn for the better before the All-Star break. Now, they’ll need Jon Garland to rebound from one of his worst career starts.
Chicago (39-47) returns to action on Thursday night when it opens a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Oddsmakers have made Baltimore -125 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for todays game, the over/under has been set at 8.5 total runs (Matchup). Our public betting information shows that 65% of bets for this game have been placed on Baltimore -125 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
The White Sox improved to 24-20 after a win on May 25, but then went into a tailspin by losing 22 of their next 27. After being swept at home by the crosstown rival Cubs last month, the White Sox have gone 10-5 including a split of a four-game set with division rival Minnesota.
After giving up 32 runs in a day-night doubleheader to open the series, Chicago recorded back-to-back wins including a 6-3 victory on Sunday.
The White Sox are fourth in the AL Central, 13 games behind first-place Detroit.
"Hopefully we carry over the last two weeks of baseball we play," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen told the team’s official Web site. "We’ll carry that over to the second half and make a run at this."
To do so, Garland (6-6, 3.92 ERA) must forget a dismal outing. The right-hander gave up a career-high 11 earned runs and 11 hits over 3 1-3 innings in a 20-14 loss to the Twins on Friday in the opener of the doubleheader.
"The result was absolutely terrible. I’m embarrassed by it. It shouldn’t happen," Garland said after his shortest start of the season. Entering that contest, he had allowed one earned run in 14 innings while posting victories his last two starts.
Garland also has won his last three starts against the Orioles to improve to 4-2 with 4.85 ERA in his career versus them. In Baltimore, though, he’s 1-1 with a 15.75 ERA.
The White Sox, who are starting a season-high 11-game road trip, are 6-1 in their last seven on the road overall. They’re 7-1 in their last eight games in Baltimore, averaging 7.9 runs and batting .340 during that stretch. Chicago ranks last in the AL with 354 runs and in the majors with a .241 batting average this season.
Baltimore and Chicago split a four-game series July 2-5 at U.S. Cellular Field. The Orioles (38-49) dropped the finale of that series, beginning a stretch of three losses in four games entering the break.
Baltimore also has struggled to meet expectations this season, which led to the firing of manager Sam Perlozzo on June 18. The Orioles have gone 9-9 under interim manager Dave Trembley.
"I think we’re improved," Trembley told the Orioles’ official Web site. "We still need to work on the little things, pay attention to details. But I think we’re being a little more aggressive and the guys seem to be a whole lot more attentive."
Jeremy Guthrie (4-2, 2.74) gets the start for Baltimore, and will try again to record his first home win since May 8. In five starts at Camden Yards since then, he’s gone 0-1 with a 2.97 ERA and the Orioles have lost four of those games.
He allowed three runs and five hits over six innings on Friday, but didn’t factor in a 4-3 road loss in 10 innings to Texas. Guthrie, whose ERA ranks second in the AL behind All-Star starter Dan Haren of Oakland, has never started against the White Sox.
In two relief appearances while with Cleveland, Guthrie has allowed one hit in 3 1-3 innings.
by: Dave Michaels – thespread.com – Email Us
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