White Sox at Indians
Corey Kluber looks to bounce back from a rare rough outing when he gets the start for the Cleveland Indians in the finale of a three-game series with the visiting Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon. Kluber lost for the first time in over a month after giving up a season-high four runs in five innings against Minnesota on Friday.
He'll try to rebound against a White Sox team that failed to score on Kluber over six frames in a meeting last month and has recorded 16 total runs during a six-game losing streak. Francisco Lindor drove in a pair of runs to pace the Indians' attack in Tuesday's 6-3 win, which gave Cleveland a 7-2 record against Chicago - including 5-0 at home. The Indians improved to 23-13 overall at Progressive Field and matched their high-water mark for the season at six games above .500 (39-33). The White Sox, who turn to emerging right-hander Reynaldo Lopez in the finale, are at the other end of the spectrum at a season-high 24 games below .500 (24-48).
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Reynaldo Lopez (2-4, 3.35 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (10-3, 2.24)
Lopez has five quality starts in his last six turns, with the one exception being a clunker at Cleveland opposite Kluber on May 30, when the Indians got to him for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. He has a 4.36 ERA on the road, compared to 2.25 at home. Yonder Alonso is 2-for-2 and Edwin Encarnacion is 2-for-4 with a walk against the 24-year-old Lopez.
Kluber also issued his first walk in a span of seven starts in the loss to the Twins and he's handed out 11 in 104 2/3 innings overall. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is 6-1 with a 1.80 ERA in eight home starts. Jose Abreu is 16-for-47 with five home runs against Kluber, who is 10-4 in his career versus the White Sox.
WALK-OFFS
1. Lindor has at least two hits in six of his last 10 games.
2. White Sox OF Charlie Tilson was 3-for-4 on Tuesday and is batting .353 over a 10-game stretch.
3. The Indians placed RHP Evan Marshall (elbow) on the 10-day disabled list and selected the contract of RHP George Kontos.