White Sox at Indians
The Cleveland Indians rebounded after a tough series in the Sunshine State with an easy victory and look to build on that momentum when they host the fading Chicago White Sox for the second of a four-game set on Tuesday. The Indians, who were outscored 21-8 while being swept in three games at Tampa Bay, pounded out 11 hits on the way to an 11-3 victory in the series opener Monday night.
Carlos Santana batted .350 in August before going 0-for-5 on Monday but belted his team-leading 32nd homer among two hits as injury-plagued Cleveland moved one game ahead of Oakland for the second wild card spot in the American League. While the Indians were winning their 80th game of the season, Chicago was matching a season high with its seventh straight defeat; the White Sox have allowed 55 runs over the last six contests - yielding double figures in four the past five. Shortstop Tim Anderson had a pair of hits for the White Sox and is 30-for-78 in his last 18 contests while teammate Jose Abreu saw his five-game hitting streak end but notched his team-leading 104th RBI. Chicago will try to put an end to its slide when it sends promising rookie Dylan Cease to the mound while the Indians counter with fellow right-hander Mike Clevinger, who has not suffered a loss since June 28.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Dylan Cease (3-7, 6.92 ERA) vs. Indians RH Mike Clevinger (10-2, 2.72)
Cease struggled through the worst start of his career Thursday when he allowed eight runs on 10 hits over two innings in a 10-5 loss to Minnesota. The 23-year-old Georgia native had completed at least five innings in his first nine major-league turns before serving up at least one homer (two on Thursday) for the 10th straight outing. Cease faces Cleveland for the first time in his young career and is 1-3 with a 6.43 ERA in four road starts this year.
Clevinger was dominant in his last trip to the mound Thursday at Detroit while permitting four hits over eight scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts. The 28-year-old has given up one run combined with 28 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings in his last three starts and not surrendered a homer in the past five outings. Abreu is 5-for-21 with two homers against Clevinger, who gave up one hit over seven scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in a no-decision April 1 versus the White Sox.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland 2B Jason Kipnis missed his second straight game with right wrist tendinitis, but he could return as soon as Wednesday.
2. Chicago CF Leury Garcia had three hits in the series opener after going 4-for-34 in his previous eight games.
3. Indians 1B/OF Jake Bauers is 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored and four RBIs in three games since being recalled.