Los Angeles @ Chicago preview
Guaranteed Rate Field
Last Meeting ( May 19, 2010 ) LA Angels 3, Chi. White Sox 2
There are several reasons why the Chicago White Sox have struggled this season.
Mark Buehrle is at the top of the list.
The White Sox ace hasn't pitched anything like one South Siders had become used to seeing in recent seasons.
Buehrle is 0-5 with a 6.44 ERA in his last six starts. He has allowed 48 hits, including six home runs in 36 1/3 innings. He has pitched six innings or less four times and has gone only 4 2/3 innings twice. He hasn't won since April 11.
The left-hander will try to reverse that tonight when he starts against Los Angeles, but his recent outings haven't shown much indication things are about to change.
Buehrle began the season as if he would again put up the numbers that have made him one of the game's top starters for the last several years. He threw seven shutout innings against Cleveland on opening day before making another strong outing against Minnesota in his second start.
Buehrle's last start, which came against Kansas City, is a better indicator of how his season is going. He retired the first 13 hitters and breezed through five innings before running into trouble. A solo homer by Yuniesky Betancourt tied the game in the sixth before Buehrle came unglued in the seventh when the Royals scored four times and he failed to retire a batter.
The early part of the season hasn't been smooth sailing for Angels right-hander Ervin Santana either. The right-hander has managed only two wins in eight starts. One of those victories came in his last start against Oakland when Santana held the A's to two earned runs in six innings.
On the positive side, Santana has been able to keep the heat off the Angels' bullpen. He has pitched into the sixth inning seven times.
The Angels took the first game of the series on Wednesday night with a 3-2 win. Torii Hunter hit a two-run homer in the fourth to back strong pitching by Joe Saunders, who held the White Sox to one run and four hits in 7 2/3 innings. Brian Fuentes gave up Paul Konerko's solo homer in the ninth but picked up his fifth save.