White Sox at Indians
Edwin Encarnacion returned from a hip injury to spark the host Cleveland Indians, who aim for their first winning streak of the month when they play the Chicago White Sox in the second of a three-game series Saturday night. Encarnacion was out of the starting lineup for both of the Indians' losses in Colorado earlier this week, but returned in a big way in Friday's 7-3 win.
He had two singles and the go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning as Cleveland bounced back from a 1-4 road trip. The White Sox have lost three straight and eight of their last nine overall, and they are 1-9 in their last 10 road games. Slugger Jose Abreu left Friday's game after being hit in the left leg by Cleveland lefty Andrew Miller, and he is considered day-to-day. Indians righty Josh Tomlin will be trying to atone for an earlier meeting with the White Sox in which he gave up seven runs in 1 2/3 innings.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH David Holmberg (0-0, 2.50 ERA) vs. Indians RH Josh Tomlin (3-7, 5.54)
Holmberg will be making his third straight start after eight relief appearances for the White Sox. He has allowed four runs on five hits and five walks with just three strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings as a starter, which follows a run out of the bullpen in which he let up one run and three hits in 10 1/3 frames. The 25-year-old Texas native, who has a 3.94 ERA and has held opponents to a .211 average in his career on the road, has never faced Cleveland.
Since getting clobbered for six runs in 2 1/3 innings against Tampa Bay on May 17, Tomlin has gone 1-2 with a 3.18 ERA over a span of three starts. The Texas Tech product has gone through four consecutive outings - spanning 25 innings - without allowing a walk, and he entered Friday's action leading the American League in strikeout-to-walk ratio (11.0). Including his abysmal matchup with the White Sox earlier this season, Tomlin is 4-4 with a 3.88 ERA in his career against the American League Central rivals.
WALK-OFFS
1. Indians 3B Jose Ramirez is 8-for-20 with four runs scored during his five-game hitting streak.
2. Chicago has an AL-leading 23 road losses.
3. Miller tossed two scoreless innings Friday and has allowed one earned run in 29 2/3 frames this year.