Angels at White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are off to their best 15-game start since they opened the 2006 season with a 10-5 record. The current White Sox contingent also boasts a 10-5 mark and will vie for its third straight victory to conclude a four-game series against the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Thursday afternoon.
Starting pitching has been the calling card for Chicago, which saw ace Chris Sale become the majors' first four-game winner in Wednesday's 2-1 triumph. John Danks is singing a vastly different tune as the left-hander has been blitzed in his first two outings this season and boasts a 1-9 mark with a gaudy 5.06 ERA in his past 12 turns dating to 2015. The Angels have struggled to find their offense of late, scoring just 18 runs en route to losing five of their last six. Mike Trout collected three of his team's four hits on Wednesday, but is 0-for-8 with four strikeouts against Danks.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jered Weaver (1-0, 4.35 ERA) vs. White Sox LH John Danks (0-2, 7.94)
Weaver has dominated Chicago in his career, winning his last six starts en route to posting a 10-2 mark with a 1.99 ERA while limiting the club to batting .207 against him. The 33-year-old scattered five hits over 6 1/3 scoreless frames in his last encounter with the White Sox. Weaver could use a feel-good performance after being touched for four runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings of a no-decision versus Minnesota on Saturday.
Danks hasn't just stumbled out of the blocks this season, he's nearly fallen on his face after yielding 12 runs on 14 hits to take the loss in his first two starts. The 31-year-old allowed five runs and was taken deep twice in a 7-2 setback to Tampa Bay on Saturday, matching the totals of his last performance against Los Angeles on Aug. 18. Veteran slugger Albert Pujols is mired in an 0-for-11 stretch in the series, but is 3-for-10 with a homer in his career versus Danks.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago is winning its close encounters this season, posting a 5-2 mark in contests decided by two or fewer runs.
2. Angels LHP Andrew Heaney (strained flexor) will not rejoin the team this weekend despite being eligible to come off the disabled list on Friday, manager Mike Scioscia told reporters.
3. White Sox RHP David Robertson is 6-for-6 in save opportunities.