Wednesday MLB: Chicago White Sox (39-38) at Cleveland Indians (31-48)
In the wide-open American League Central, it appears no team is ever out of the division race. The Chicago White Sox have proven that.
Tuesday’s 11-4 win over Cleveland was Chicago’s 11th in 15 games overall and moved the Sox above .500 for the first time since they were 12-11 on May 2. They are just four games out of first in the Central behind the Tigers.
Chicago is averaging 6.0 runs in its last 15 contests. The White Sox are batting .370 while scoring 31 runs during their current four-game winning streak, which matches a season high. They are also hitting .284 on the road, where they’ve won 12 of the last 16. Rookie Gordon Beckham is batting .383 with 13 RBIs in his last 15 games while raising his batting average to .267.
Leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik has been great for Chicago, and he should be back in the lineup tonight. He had played in 52 of a possible 54 games, including 45 consecutive starts until manager Ozzie Guillen gave him a break Tuesday.
The Sox go for a three-game sweep of the last-place Tribe tonight, but Cleveland has opened as a -117 money line favorite on WagerWeb.com.
The Indians are probably going to start selling players soon, and they already traded Mark DeRosa. Because of injury and inconsistency, Tribe manager Eric Wedge has used 74 different lineups in 78 games this season.
For example, DH Travis Hafner hasn’t been able to play three straight games since returning from a stint on the disabled list on June 5, but Wedge said he expected Hafner in the lineup for a third straight game tonight. However, Hafner probably won’t be playing more than five or six days a week all season.
Cleveland starts Jeremy Sowers (2-5, 5.44) tonight, and he’s coming off his first win in a month. Sowers is 0-2 against the White Sox this season and 0-4 with a 5.92 ERA in five career starts against them.
Chicago counters with Jose Contreras (2-7, 5.19). He has allowed seven earned runs in his last two starts after giving up just three hits in 16 scoreless innings over his previous two outings since returning to the majors. Contreras is 4-2 with a 3.34 ERA in 12 starts versus the Indians in his career.
The Indians are 1-6 in their last 7 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
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