Chicago @ Texas preview
Choctaw Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 3, 2010 ) Texas 3, Chi. White Sox 4
The Texas Rangers are coming off a series in which they lost two of three to the Los Angeles Angels in a showdown of the American League West contenders. And Josh Hamilton’s remarkable 23-game hitting streak came to a close on Thursday night.
But the Rangers head back home to open their longest homestand of the season, a 10-game stay starting with a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Texas will send right-hander Colby Lewis to the hill, while Chicago will counter with right-hander Freddy Garcia.
Lewis was scheduled to start on Wednesday, but the Rangers decided to push him back after he allowed a season-high nine hits to the Astros on June 25. Lewis took the loss after allowing five runs - four earned - on nine hits with a walk and four strikeouts over five innings.
The Rangers said they also gave Lewis six days’ rest as an effort to keep him strong in the second half of the season. If Lewis can repeat his first half, it will certainly pay off.
Before his shaky start against Houston, Lewis was coming off a great effort - also against Houston - tossing a two-hitter en route to a Rangers 5-1 victory. For the season, Lewis has held opponents to a .200 batting average, the lowest in the American League.
In his last start against the White Sox, Lewis took the loss on June 3. He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. Lewis is 1-3 with an 8.31 ERA in six games, including four starts, against the White Sox.
While Lewis has been one of the Rangers’ workhorses, Garcia has been equally valuable for the White Sox.
In his last start against the Cubs, Garcia went seven innings, allowing two runs on eight hits with no walks and five strikeouts. In fact, in four of his five starts in June, Garcia went seven innings.
Offensively, the White Sox struggled against reigning AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke for seven innings on Wednesday night. But, in the eighth, the White Sox offense came alive, scoring five runs.
Juan Pierre had an RBI triple, followed by a three-run triple from Brent Lillibridge. Alex Rios later added an RBI groundout.
Still, that wasn’t enough to lift the White Sox to a victory, as the Royals held on for a 7-6 victory and won the series by taking two of three.
Finally, for what it’s worth, this is the last regular-season series between the Rangers and White Sox this year.