Chicago @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 30, 2012 ) Chi. White Sox 0, NY Yankees 4
The New York Yankees will grudgingly turn the calendar on the month of June as they look to salvage a split against the Chicago White Sox in the finale of a four-game set on Old Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees snapped Chicago's four-game winning streak with a formula that served them so well in going 20-7 in June: Great starting pitching and the long ball. Hirodi Kuroka threw seven scoreless innings and New York hit three homers to post its first 20-win month since August 2009.
One day after erupting for 14 runs and 19 hits, the White Sox were shut out for the fourth time in June. Chicago managed only three hits and struck out 13 times against Kuroda and two relievers, continuing a trend with Jake Peavy on the mound. Peavy lost his fourth straight start despite striking out a season-high 11. During his skid, Chicago has scored a total of two runs. Adam Dunn went down swinging twice and has fanned 125 times in 272 at bats.
TV: 2:05 p.m. ET, TBS, WGN (Chicago), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Gavin Floyd (6-7, 4.80 ERA) at Yankees RH Phil Hughes (8-6, 4.48)
Floyd has won his last two starts and has not allowed a run in either of them. He turned in a dominant performance at Minnesota last time out. tying a season high with nine strikeouts and limiting the Twins to five hits in seven innings. The Yankees hammered Floyd for nine runs on 10 hits in only 2 1/3 innings in August 2011, but he struck out 10 at Yankee Stadium in April 2011.
Hughes is coming off one of his best efforts of the season, blanking the Cleveland Indians on six hits in eight scoreless innings. That followed an outing in which Hughes served up four homers in a loss to Atlanta. Hughes is 2-1 with an 0.75 ERA in eight appearances (four starts) against the White Sox, including six scoreless innings against them on Aug. 2, 2011.
WALK-OFFS
1. Hughes has surrendered only two more walks (21) than home runs (19).
2. White Sox center fielder Alejandro De Aza is 9-for-21 during a four-game hitting streak.
3. Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is riding a seven-game hitting streak. He has eight homers and 14 RBIs in his last 13 games.