White Sox at Indians
Michael Brantley played just 11 games last season due to a shoulder injury and could only watch as his Cleveland Indians made it all the way to the World Series, but he is already making an impact in 2017. Brantley knocked in the winning run in the home opener and looks to carry over the momentum into the middle contest of a three-game series Wednesday against the visiting Chicago White Sox.
Brantley, who is 5-for-20 with four RBIs overall this season, drilled a double into the left-field corner to score Francisco Lindor in the 10th inning for a 2-1 victory Tuesday as the Indians snapped a three-game losing streak. Cleveland, which went 53-28 at home and 49-26 against Central Division foes last year, will send Danny Salazar to the mound Wednesday against Chicago veteran Derek Holland. The White Sox dropped their fourth game in six to start the season, but may have gotten one of their most important offensive players going in the opener of the series. Todd Frazier, who belted 40 homers in his first season with Chicago in 2016, was 2-for-4 with a solo blast Tuesday after managing just one hit in his first 17 at-bats of the campaign.
TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Derek Holland (0-1, 3.00 ERA) vs. Indians RH Danny Salazar (0-0, 6.35)
Holland pitched well in his debut with the White Sox, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits over six innings to Minnesota after winning 62 games in eight seasons with Texas. The 30-year-old Ohio native was 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts against Cleveland last season and was 5-9 against the rest of the league. Edwin Encarnacion (7-for-17, three homers, eight RBIs) and Carlos Santana (7-for-23, two, seven) have caused trouble for Holland, who is five strikeouts shy of 800 for his career.
Salazar recorded a no-decision in his first start of the season while yielding five runs (four earned) on five hits over 5 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts and four walks. The 27-year-old from the Dominican Republic gave up a homer in the 9-6 win over Texas last Wednesday - the 60th in 86 career games he has surrendered. Jose Abreu is 6-for-16 with three homers versus Salazar, who went 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in three starts against the White Sox in 2016 - limiting them to a .174 batting average.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago OF Avisail Garcia has hit safely in all six games this season, going 10-for-23 overall with a homer and five RBIs.
2. Encarnacion has been held without an RBI since the season opener and hit into two bases-loaded double plays Tuesday.
3. White Sox LF Melky Cabrera is 0-for-12 the last three games after going 5-for-11 in the first three of the season.