Chicago @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Aug 23, 2009 ) Baltimore 5, Chi. White Sox 4
The Chicago White Sox have been on a roll and sitting atop the American League Central Division. The Baltimore Orioles are playing good baseball too and have not looked like the worst team in the majors for the last three games.
A pair of surging teams - one expected and one a surprise - meet on Friday when the White Sox and Orioles start a three-game set at Camden Yards.
Chicago, winners of two straight and eight of its last 10, holds a 1 ½-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central standings. The White Sox are coming off a series in which they dealt a blow to one of their division rivals, taking three of four on the road from the Detroit Tigers.
Mark Kotsay was the hero Thursday, belting a two-run homer in the ninth inning and adding a two-run triple in the 11th to lead Chicago to a 6-4 victory.
The White Sox are 29-26 on the road and will look to improve on a 7-11 record against the American League East when they hand the ball to John Danks for tonight’s series opener.
Danks (11-8, 3.40 ERA) had won four straight starts before a 6-2 loss against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday. Danks had allowed one run or less in three of his previous four stats before yielding five runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings against the A's.
Danks has had pretty good success against the Orioles in his career, posting a 4-2 record with an ERA of 4.11 in six starts.
But the Orioles do not appear to be the same club that has stumbled to the worst record in baseball so far this season. Baltimore has only 35 victories this season, but three in its last three games following a sweep of the Anaheim Angels.
One reason for the improvement in Baltimore could be new manager Buck Showalter. The third manager the Orioles have played under this season, Showalter is 3-0 since making his debut Tuesday.
Showalter will look to go 4-0 tonight when he hands the ball to Brad Bergesen.
Bergesen (3-9, 6.63) is one Oriole who could really benefit from the drastic change the team has undergone under Showalter. The right-hander is 0-7 in his last 13 starts and has not posted a victory since May 12 against Seattle.
With the possibility of being pulled from the rotation hanging over him, Bergesen was strong in his last outing, going seven innings and allowing two runs and five hits against the Kansas City Royals, but he did not factor in the decision of a 4-3 loss.