Chicago @ Minnesota preview
Target Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2010 ) Chi. White Sox 6, Minnesota 7
The American League Central race this season might just come down to the team that had the smarts to hire Jim Thome back in the offseason.
The Minnesota Twins will be looking to ride Thome’s hot bat to another win when they take on the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
A member of the White Sox from 2006 through 2009, Thome was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade last August and was picked up on the cheap by the Twins as a free agent in the offseason to serve as a part-time designated hitter and bench player.
But when Justin Morneau went to the disabled list in early July with a concussion, Thome stepped in and started doing what he’s always done - hit.
Thome went 3-for-6 with a homer and a pair of RBIs in two wins against his former team last week.
The slugger was at it again in the series opener on Tuesday, driving in a run with a single in the first and providing the biggest blow of the game when he reached Matt Thornton for a two-run, walk-off shot in the bottom of the 10th to give Minnesota a 7-6 win.
The victory pushed the Twins’ lead in the Central to four games over the White Sox.
Chicago certainly didn’t go down without a fight, battling back from deficits of 4-0 and 5-4 before taking a 6-5 lead in the 10th.
Minnesota will hand the ball to ace Francisco Liriano (11-7) today. The Dominican left-hander has been among the best pitchers in the league all season in his comeback campaign and may be the only pitcher on the Twins staff capable of completely dominating an opposing team in the playoffs.
Much of Liriano’s success this season stems from his ability to keep the ball in the ballpark, as the 26-year-old has somehow managed to surrender just two homers in 146 1/3 total innings.
After having his streak of three straight scoreless outings snapped in a no-decision at Cleveland on Aug. 6, Liriano bounced back against the White Sox last week, allowing one run and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings to pick up a win. He has faced Chicago three times this season, going 2-0 while yielding six runs in 19 1/3 total frames.
Gavin Floyd (8-9) will counter for the White Sox and is hoping to bounce back. One of the hottest pitchers in the league while ripping off a string of 12 straight starts allowing two earned runs or less, Floyd collapsed against Minnesota last week, getting lit up for six runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings to suffer the loss. He surrendered homers to Orlando Hudson and Jason Kubel in the contest.
Floyd has lost just twice since June 13 but both times were to the Twins, including a July 16 outing in which he was charged with four runs - one earned - and seven hits in five frames.