Rangers at White Sox
The Chicago White Sox pulled off the major league's first triple play of the
season in the series opener and attempt to defeat the visiting Texas
Rangers a second straight time on Saturday. The White Sox got out
of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the seventh inning with the triple
play en route to a 5-0 win on Friday.
The triple play began with right fielder Adam Eaton catching Mitch Moreland's liner and throwing to first to retire Ian Desmond, who overran the bag while trying to get back. A wild rundown ensued with the other two runners before Prince Fielder was tagged out between third base and home. The White Sox scored more than three runs for only the second time in 10 games while the slumping Jose Abreu went hitless to drop to 2-for-30 over his last eight contests. The Rangers scored 24 runs during a four-game winning streak, but their bats were silent on Friday as they recorded just five hits and had only two at-bats with runners in scoring position.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Colby Lewis (1-0, 4.00 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Carlos Rodon (1-2, 4.73)
Lewis served up three homers in his last outing against Baltimore and received a no-decision after allowing four runs and 10 hits in six innings. He is 7-3 with a 3.89 ERA in 13 career appearances (11 starts) against Chicago and has thrown two of his three career shutouts versus the White Sox. Lewis has struggled to retire Austin Jackson (13-for-31, one homer) while faring well against Brett Lawrie (1-for-14, seven strikeouts) and Eaton (2-for-14, five strikeouts).
Rodon was torched in his last outing, retiring only one batter while giving up five runs, six hits and two walks in a loss to the Los Angeles Angels. "Listen, he wasn't finishing his pitches. That was the big thing," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper told reporters. "He wasn't standing up at the end, basically. He had a bad one. That's it. That's all I got on it." Rodon is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts against the Rangers and has controlled Moreland (1-for-6, four strikeouts).
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre notched two hits on Friday and is 9-for-18 over his last five contests.
2. Chicago DH Avasail Garcia is 1-for-19 in his last six games and didn't play in the series opener.
3. Texas RHP Keone Kela (elbow) will be sidelined approximately three months after undergoing surgery on Friday.