Chicago @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Aug 1, 2010 ) Oakland 1, Chi. White Sox 4
Maybe the city of Oakland will provide the Chicago White Sox a place to hide.
After dropping six contests to fall out of the AL Central race, the White Sox begin a three-game series with the Athletics on Monday night before closing out their road campaign with three games against the Los Angeles Angels.
Chicago was tied with the Minnesota Twins for the top spot in the division on Aug. 11, but entered a vital series at U.S. Cellular Field last week just six games back and in desperate need of a sweep.
However, the Twins clobbered the White Sox in the series and if Chicago had any chance at all of recovering, the Detroit Tigers put the final nail in the coffin with a three-game sweep this weekend.
Chicago was overpowered by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in the first two games. The White Sox then rallied for four runs in the ninth inning on Sunday to force extra innings before dropping a 9-7 decision in 11 innings on a wild pitch and throwing error.
Limping to the finish line after tying the major league record with 25 wins in the final 30 games leading to the All-Star Game, the White Sox will send Gavin Floyd (10-13, 4.08 ERA) to the hill to stop an embarrassing slide by the rotation. Chicago starters are 0-9 with a 7.12 ERA in their last 14 starts.
The right-hander is 2-5 with a 6.07 ERA in his last seven starts and dropped a 9-3 decision to Minnesota on Wednesday, allowing five runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. He has lasted five innings in his last 19 starts and has 18 quality starts in 30 tries this season.
Floyd has had success against Oakland, going 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA in five career starts. He defeated the Athletics on Aug. 1, allowing just one run and four runs in seven innings in a 4-1 victory.
Oakland posted a 6-2 triumph over Minnesota on Sunday to take the rubber game of a three-game series. The red-hot Mark Ellis singled, doubled and homered in the victory to raise his batting average this month to .426 (23-for-58).
The Athletics will begin their seven-game road trip with promising left-hander Gio Gonzalez (14-9, 3.47 ERA).
Gonzalez had won his four previous starts and was 8-3 with a 2.29 ERA over 15 starts until running into the Kansas City Royals last Tuesday. The 25-year-old was tagged for seven runs and seven hits in a season-low two innings in an 11-3 shellacking.
Gonzalez is 8-3 with a 2.70 ERA in 14 home starts, but just 0-3 with an 8.82 ERA in three career games against the White Sox.
Chicago and Oakland have split six games this season.