Indians at White Sox
The White Sox have won six of their 10 meetings with Cleveland this season, including the last three. The most recent of those was a lopsided 9-3 victory in Friday’s series opener that moved Chicago to within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Indians in the American League Central. Adam Dunn hit the first of three homers Friday for the White Sox, who have gone deep in 11 straight games and are 15-0 this season when hitting at least two home runs.
Cleveland ranks fifth in the majors in on-base percentage, while Chicago is among the league leaders in opponent batting average. Both teams were expected to finish well back of Detroit in the AL Central this season — the White Sox followed up a disappointing 2011 season by losing manager Ozzie Guillen and top starting pitcher Mark Buehrle to the Miami Marlins, while the Indians were stung by a spring injury to CF Grady Sizemore, who is not expected to return until at least next month.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Derek Lowe (6-2, 2.15 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Jake Peavy (5-1, 2.39 ERA)
Lowe has turned back the clock this season, posting eight quality starts in nine turns thus far and tossing a six-hit shutout at Minnesota on May 15. The veteran righty, who turns 39 next week, hasn’t been overpowering — opponents are batting .286 against Lowe, who has just 15 strikeouts against 18 walks. Lowe is 1-3 with five saves, four holds and a 3.55 ERA in 24 career games (seven starts) against Chicago.
The AL Pitcher of the Month in April, Peavy has been almost as good this month with the exception of one rough start against Detroit on May 15 (5 1/3 IP, 9 H, 6 ER). He is 3-3 with a 3.63 ERA in eight career starts against the Indians, going seven innings for a win in his lone start against them this season (7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K). Peavy has 55 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 2012.
WALK-OFFS:
1. Dunn’s home run Friday was the 380th of his career, moving him past Hall of Famers Orlando Cepeda and Tony Perez for 63rd on the all-time list.
2. Chicago hitters are 31-for-138 (.225) against Lowe. Dunn, 1B Paul Konerko and OF Alex Rios have struggled, going a combined 9-for-65 (.138) with 18 strikeouts. Rios is 0-for-10.
3. Cleveland RF Shin-Soo Choo is 7-for-16 (.438) with a home run against Peavy. 2B Asdrubal Cabrera is 5-for-14 (.357) with a homer.