Chicago @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 18, 2010 ) Chi. White Sox 4, Cleveland 7
Just when all hope seemed lost for the Cleveland Indians this season, the Chicago White Sox are coming back to town.
Based on the success of the teams' April meetings, the Indians have to be feeling awfully good about their chances in this week’s three-game series.
Cleveland is 5-1 against Chicago this season and 11-25 against everyone else. The White Sox are also the only team the Indians have swept this season.
At 7-12, the Indians have the worst home record in the American League. They are also last in all of baseball in attendance, two stats that perhaps go hand in hand.
Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen joked that his team couldn’t beat anyone when it faced Cleveland last month. He says the White Sox are both swinging the bats and pitching better, but that has done little to fuel trade speculation.
ESPN reported over the weekend that the Philadelphia Phillies have been in contact with the White Sox in regard to relievers Bobby Jenks and J.J. Putz, both of whom could help the two-time defending National League champions solve their problems in the back end of the bullpen.
Jenks has converted seven of eight save opportunities this season, but carries a 5.40 ERA and hasn’t seemed as dominant as in years past. Putz has experience closing and could either be a fit with the Phillies or fill in with the Sox should Jenks get dealt.
A decision on whether or not to blow up the roster is still a few weeks away, but it’s still disheartening such is the talk in late May when Chicago began the season with World Series aspirations. Instead, the White Sox are 7.5 games out of first as the week begins.
Three games against the downtrodden Indians should help any chance they have of climbing back in the race. Cleveland is without its top two hitters in the lineup - leadoff man Asdrubal Cabrera and No. 2 hitter Grady Sizemore - both of whom are on the disabled list. Cabrera is out until after the All-Star break following surgery on his broken left arm.
The Indians ended a six-game losing streak with a victory Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds, but are still struggling in all phases of the game.
Justin Masterson, who starts Monday against Chicago, has one victory since joining Cleveland in a deadline deal from the Boston Red Sox last summer.
He will be opposed Monday by John Danks, whose 2.26 ERA is the third-lowest in the American League. He has allowed three runs or less in all eight of his starts, yet Chicago’s anemic offense has stuck him with losses in his last three outings.