Rangers at White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are winning with pitching and defense but are starting to get some power production from their biggest hitters. Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier will try to lead the White Sox to a three-game sweep Sunday when they host the Texas Rangers in the finale of a three-game series.
Frazier hit one home run and was robbed of another on Saturday before Abreu singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th to give Chicago a 4-3 victory. Abreu went 1-for-6 to snap a three-game hitless streak while Frazier’s home run was the third in five games and lifted his batting average to .200. The Rangers were shut out 5-0 in Friday’s series opener and have totaled three runs in the series after averaging six during a four-game winning streak. Texas thought its own slugger was breaking out of a slump with a five-game hitting streak, but Prince Fielder went 0-for-5 on Saturday to drop his average back to .188.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Derek Holland (2-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Mat Latos (3-0, 0.49)
Holland is coming off back-to-back wins after holding the Houston Astros to two runs and five hits in as many innings on Tuesday. The 29-year-old sandwiched a pair of five-inning stints around a gem at Seattle on April 12, when he scattered four hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Holland is looking for his first career win against Chicago and is 0-2 with a 7.98 ERA in five career games – three starts - against the White Sox.
Latos is adjusting quite well to his first extended stint in the American League, allowing a total of one run and six hits in 18 1/3 innings over his first three starts. The 28-year-old made his home debut on Tuesday and limited the Los Angeles Angels to two hits over 6 1/3 scoreless frames while striking out five. Latos does not have much of a track record against Texas but limited Fielder to 1-for-8 and held Ian Desmond to 5-for-20 in his career.
WALK-OFFS
1. White Sox C Alex Avila left Saturday’s game with tightness in his right hamstring and is day-to-day.
2. Desmond homered in two of the last three contests and has four RBIs in that span.
3. Chicago LF Melky Cabrera is 6-for-11 with two home runs and five runs scored in the last three games.