Chicago @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 23, 2015 ) Chi. White Sox 6, Minnesota 2

Chris Sale is making some history for the Chicago White Sox and is becoming the most dominant starting pitcher in the American League. Sale will try to post his sixth straight start with 12 or more strikeouts when the White Sox visit the Minnesota Twins in the rubber match of a three-game series on Wednesday.

Sale joined Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez as the only pitcher to punch out a dozen or more in five straight starts and has struck out double digits in six consecutive outings, beginning with a 10-K performance against Minnesota on May 23. The Twins ended up winning that game during a 20-7 month of May but doubled that loss total already in June with Tuesday’s 6-2 setback. The White Sox are struggling to get any of their pitchers run support but pounded out 15 hits on Tuesday to snap a string of nine straight games scoring three or fewer runs.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Chris Sale (6-3, 2.74 ERA) vs. Twins RH Phil Hughes (5-6, 4.47)

Sale failed to come out with a win on Friday despite matching a season high with 14 strikeouts while yielding two hits and no walks in eight scoreless innings. The Florida native has 119 strikeouts and only 20 walks on the season and allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last five outings. Sale endured his worst start of the season at Minnesota on Apr. 30, when he was rocked for nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits and a pair of walks in three innings.

Hughes put together his third straight quality start and came out with his first win in that stretch on Friday, when he held the Chicago Cubs to one run and two hits in eight innings. The lone blemish came via solo home run, and the California native, who celebrates his 29th birthday on Wednesday, has already matched last season’s total by serving up 16 home runs. Hughes surrendered a home run to Adam LaRoche at Chicago on Apr. 12 but kept the White Sox in the park while allowing two runs in seven innings on May 22.

WALK-OFFS

1. White Sox 1B Jose Abreu has hit safely in eight straight games and went 4-for-5 on Tuesday to raise his average to .300.

2. Minnesota CF Aaron Hicks (forearm strain) faced live pitching on Tuesday and could be activated by the start of next week.

3. Chicago LF Melky Cabrera is 7-for-12 with a pair of doubles in the last three games.

PREDICTION: White Sox 4, Twins 0