Chicago @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 29, 2015 ) Chi. White Sox 9, Boston 2

The Chicago White Sox are on the brink of returning to .500 and have starting pitching to thank for their recent surge. The White Sox will try to secure an eighth straight win when they go for a four-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.

Chicago’s starting pitchers are 6-0 with a 2.57 ERA in the last eight games, and only John Danks on Monday failed to go at least six innings. The White Sox, who send ace Chris Sale to the mound on Thursday, are also benefiting from the Red Sox’s terrible starting pitching in the series. Joe Kelly served up four runs in the first on Monday and lasted only 3 1/3 innings before Wade Miley was reached for five runs in the first on Tuesday and Rick Porcello was knocked out in the third on Wednesday after yielding six runs – two more in the first inning. Knuckleballer Steven Wright will try to work a little deeper into the game in the finale for Boston, which is 2-11 since the All-Star break and owns the worst record in the American League.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, WPWR (Chicago), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Chris Sale (9-5, 2.85 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Steven Wright (3-4, 4.78)

Sale breezed through seven innings at Cleveland on Saturday and earned a win while allowing two runs and seven hits. The Florida native did not walk a batter in that outing and has issued four walks while notching 65 strikeouts in his last seven starts. Sale has never lost to Boston and owns a 1-0 record with an 0.89 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 20 1/3 total innings against the Red Sox.

Wright is making his third straight turn in the rotation since being recalled after the All-Star break and is hoping to earn his first major-league win since June 7. The knuckleballer was knocked around for a total of 10 runs (eight earned) and 11 hits in 9 1/3 innings while losing to the Angels and Tigers in his last two starts. Wright is making his first appearance against Chicago and is 2-1 with a 4.09 ERA in five games – three starts – at home in 2015.

WALK-OFFS

1. White Sox LF Melky Cabrera has recorded multiple hits in seven straight games and is 9-for-16 in the series.

2. Boston 3B Pablo Sandoval (dehydration) left Wednesday’s game and is day-to-day.

3. Chicago has not won eight straight since taking nine in a row from May 23-June 1, 2012.

PREDICTION: White Sox 6, Red Sox 1