Texas @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 4, 2015 ) Chi. White Sox 1, Texas 2

The Texas Rangers have won 20 of their last 28 contests heading into Friday's opener of a three-game series against the ice-cold Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. A balk in the ninth inning foiled the Rangers' bid to record a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday while the White Sox were on the wrong end of the broom for the second straight series en route to losing their season-high seventh in a row.

Chicago has been outscored 34-14 during its losing skid, with just four runs being plated in the last four games and the team collecting four hits or fewer in each of those contests. Melky Cabrera saw his six-game hitting streak come to an end in a 3-2 setback to Pittsburgh on Thursday and is 3-for-9 in his career versus Friday starter Colby Lewis. Left-hander Chris Sale will try to subdue Texas, which mustered just four hits in a 1-0 setback to the Dodgers. Prince Fielder was given the night off after going 7-for-27 in his previous eight games, and remains one homer shy of joining Cecil Fielder (319) as the second father-son duo with at least 300 homers - joining Bobby and Barry Bonds.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Colby Lewis (6-3, 4.37 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Chris Sale (6-3, 3.01)

Lewis recorded his fifth win in six decisions on Saturday after allowing three runs on four hits in seven innings of an 11-7 triumph over Minnesota. The 35-year-old has pitched seven frames in each of his last three outings, including picking up the win in a 15-2 rout of the White Sox on June 2. That performance allowed Lewis to improve to 6-3 with a 4.21 ERA in 12 career outings against Chicago.

Sale saw his three-game winning streak come to a close after yielding two runs on three hits while striking out 12 in 6 2/3 innings of a 2-1 setback to Tampa Bay on Sunday. The 26-year-old has recorded double-digit strikeouts in five straight outings and six of his last seven, including fanning 13 over seven scoreless innings in a 9-2 victory over Texas on June 3. Fielder (4-for-25, .160), Elvis Andrus (2-for-20, .100) and Shin-Soo Choo (1-for-16, .063) have struggled mightily against Sale in their respective careers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago C Geovany Soto homered for the second time in five games on Thursday and third time this season.

2. Texas 1B Mitch Moreland saw his 11-game hitting streak come to an end on Thursday.

3. The White Sox designated RHP Hector Noesi for assignment after the 28-year-old posted an 0-4 mark with a gaudy 6.89 ERA in 10 games.

PREDICTION: Rangers 3, White Sox 2