White Sox at Indians
Michael Brantley has already matched his home run total from last season for the resurgent Cleveland Indians, who will look to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon. The Indians have scored 34 runs during a four-game winning streak after coasting to a 7-3 victory over major league-worst Chicago on Tuesday night.
Brantley belted his ninth homer of the season as part of a 3-for-4 night to extend his hitting streak to 18 games -- the longest active run in the majors and one shy of the second-longest string of his career. Teammate Jose Ramirez, linked to erroneous rumors out of the Dominican Republic that he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, responded by clubbing his 16th homer of the season and ninth this month. Daniel Palka has hit safely in five straight games after homering Tuesday for Chicago, which has dropped five of its last six. The White Sox will try to avoid the sweep by sending Reynaldo López to the mound against reigning Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, who has posted a quality start in each of his 11 outings.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS Chicago, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Reynaldo López (1-3, 2.93 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (7-2, 2.17)
It took nine starts and eight scoreless innings for Lopez to earn his first win of the season but his misfortunes continued last time out when he settled for a no-decision despite seven innings of two-run ball at Detroit. It was the seventh quality start for the 24-year-old Dominican, who has permitted four hits or fewer six times. Lopez lost his lone start versus Cleveland last September despite six innings of one-run ball.
Kluber also did not factor in the decision last time out, limiting Houston to seven hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings six days after beating the Astros with seven innings of two-run ball. He has walked only one batter in 33 1/3 innings spanning his last five starts. Jose Abreu is 16-for-45 with five homers off Kluber, who is 9-4 lifetime against the White Sox and posted a 3-0 mark and 2.70 ERA in five starts against them in 2017.
WALK-OFFS
1. Indians 2B Jason Kipnis is 8-for-22 with two homers and five RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.
2. White Sox 3B Yolmer Sánchez collected his major league-leading sixth triple in Tuesday's loss.
3. Indians LHP Andrew Miller visited a specialist in New York on Tuesday to have his left knee examined.