Athletics at White Sox
The Chicago White Sox have halted a season-worst eight-game losing streak and look to beat the visiting Oakland Athletics again on Saturday in the third contest of a four-game set. The victory in the second game of the doubleheader on Friday came after Chicago was outscored 35-7 over its previous four games.
Oakland rolled to an 11-2 victory in the first game of the twin bill as Franklin Barreto hit two three-run homers and drove in a career-best six runs. The victory in the opener marked a season-best fifth in a row for the Athletics, who lost the second game despite two RBIs apiece from Khris Davis and Matt Olson, with the latter belting a solo shot. White Sox slugger Jose Abreu was hitless in eight at-bats in the doubleheader and has gone deep just twice in June. Omar Narvaez had three hits and two RBIs in the Game 2 win for Chicago, and Tim Anderson scored three runs while going 2-for-4 with a homer.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS California (Oakland), NBCS Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Daniel Mengden (6-6, 4.06 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Dylan Covey (3-2, 2.90)
Mengden has served up eight homers over this last three starts while going 0-2 with an atrocious 10.05 ERA. The rough stretch follows a span in which he won four consecutive outings while compiling a stellar 1.20 ERA. The 25-year-old gave up one run and six hits over eight innings on April 16 while beating the White Sox in his lone career matchup.
Covey gave up five runs (four earned) and six hits over five innings in a loss against Cleveland on Monday, when he also issued a career-high five walks. The 26-year-old had won his previous three decisions and allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his previous five outings. Covey has never faced Oakland, the team that drafted him in the fourth round in 2013 and later saw the White Sox scoop him away in the 2016 Rule 5 draft.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Athletics have scored 45 runs while going 4-1 versus the White Sox this season.
2. Chicago activated OFs Avisail Garcia (hamstring) and Leury Garcia (knee) from the disabled list, optioned INF Jose Rondon to Triple-A Charlotte and designated OF Trayce Thompson for assignment.
3. Oakland activated Matt Joyce (back) from the DL and optioned fellow OF Jake Smolinski to Triple-A Nashville.