White Sox at Indians
Eloy Jimenez closed out last month with a flurry before adding five more hits in the first three days of September and the rookie outfielder hopes to continue the surge when his Chicago White Sox visit the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night. Jimenez is 12-for-26 over the last six contests and belted a pair of homers among three hits Tuesday as the White Sox rallied for a 6-5 victory to end a season high-matching, seven-game losing streak.
The 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic is batting .252 overall with 24 homers and 57 RBIs for Chicago, which fell behind by three runs Tuesday before James McCann launched a three-run homer and Jimenez followed with a solo blast in the eighth inning. The White Sox, who have allowed 60 runs over their last seven contests, will send veteran Ivan Nova to the mound in the third of four games between American League Central rivals and fellow right-hander Shane Bieber gets the call for Cleveland. The Indians coughed up a golden chance to make up ground in the AL wild-card race, and trail Tampa Bay by one game for the top spot and are in a virtual tie for the second spot with the Oakland Athletics. Roberto Perez, who left Monday’s game with a left foot contusion, drilled a three-run homer to give Cleveland the lead Tuesday and teammate Francisco Lindor moved within three of his third straight season with 30 longballs.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS Chicago, STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Ivan Nova (9-11, 4.48 ERA) vs. Indians RH Shane Bieber (12-7, 3.27)
Nova has suffered losses in his last two starts, following a five-game winning streak over six outings where he allowed a total of seven runs. The 37-year-old Dominican Republic native yielded seven runs (five earned) on 14 hits across 9 2/3 innings combined to post losses against Texas and at Atlanta to close out August with a 1.95 ERA in six starts. Carlos Santana is 7-for-18 with two homers versus Nova, who is 1-1 with a 2.14 ERA in three starts against the Indians this year.
Bieber is winless in his last four starts, but permitted just 12 runs (nine earned) over 25 1/3 innings with 31 strikeouts as opposed to four walks during that stretch. The 24-year-old California native gave up three runs on six hits with nine strikeouts across 6 1/3 innings in a 4-0 loss at Tampa Bay on Friday in his last start. Yoan Moncada is 5-for-9 with a double and two homers against Bieber, who is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in two starts versus the White Sox in 2019.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland 2B Jason Kipnis (wrist) missed his third straight game Tuesday, but could play by the end of the series.
2. Chicago 1B Jose Abreu needs one extra-base hit for 400 in his career and two homers to finish with at least 30 blasts and 100 RBIs for a fourth season.
3. Indians DH Franmil Reyes is 14-for-37 with four homers, nine runs scored and 13 RBIs in his last 11 contests.