Chicago @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 17, 2010 ) Chi. White Sox 2, Cleveland 3
The Cleveland Indians seem to be fixing most of their problems. The list is still growing for the Chicago White Sox.
When Fausto Carmona goes to the mound for Cleveland on Sunday, he can pitch the Indians to their first sweep of the White Sox in seven years. More importantly, he can get the surprising Tribe back to .500 for the season.
Cleveland has followed up a five-game losing skid with a three-game winning streak, thanks primarily to its starting pitching. David Huff, Mitch Talbot and Jake Westbrook have combined for two complete games and 1.80 ERA during the winning streak.
Now the Indians will turn to Carmona, who has been the most consistent – and dominant – starter on the most surprising staff in baseball. Carmona’s only flaw has been his 10 walks in two starts. Should he limit his walks, Carmona could return to his 2007 form, when he won 19 games and finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting.
None of that is good news for the White Sox, who continue to struggle offensively. Chicago has lost three straight and four of its last five. The White Sox failed to score more than three runs in each of the losses.
Chicago is 1-4 against the Indians this year despite expecting to contend for the Central Division championship. Cleveland, which was expected to battle the Royals for the division cellar, has won four straight in the series since losing to the White Sox on Opening Day.
Another loss will give Chicago its worst 13-game start to a season in 13 years.
Still, Cleveland isn’t faring much better offensively. The Indians enter today batting .215 as a team, one percentage point behind the White Sox. But the Indians’ pitching is heading in the right direction.
Closer Kerry Wood, out since spring training with a pulled muscle in his back, threw a bullpen session Saturday and is inching closer to a return. Interim closer Chris Perez, roughed up in each of his last two outings, pitched a perfect ninth Saturday for his third save.
Through film study, Tribe coaches learned that Perez was tucking his left shoulder too far during his windup, making it more difficult for him to hit the outside corner against right-handed batters. Perez believes he has fixed the problem, and it’s difficult to argue with Saturday’s results.
Chicago’s bullpen is headed in the other direction. Matt Thornton, who might have the best stuff of any White Sox reliever, was roughed up in the eighth inning Saturday when Cleveland scored twice to take a 3-2 lead.
Thornton, though, has pitched in all five meetings against Cleveland this season. The Indians might be starting to get a better read on the left-hander. Thornton faced two lefties on Saturday but couldn’t get either one out. Grady Sizemore singled in the eighth and easily scored what became the winning run on Shin-Soo Choo’s double.
It might be time for Thornton to skip a day against the Indians. The rest of his teammates just might feel that way too.