Chicago @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 31, 2010 ) Chi. White Sox 4, Cleveland 3
The Chicago White Sox have received a tremendous boost from a couple of reclamation projects this season. They believe Manny Ramirez just might be another one.
Ramirez was standing in the on-deck circle in the ninth inning Tuesday, all set to make his Chicago debut when A.J. Pierzynski hit a three-run homer to give the White Sox a 4-3 victory over Cleveland.
Manager Ozzie Guillen felt like Ramirez wasn’t ready to be in the starting lineup after joining the team earlier in the day, but he is expected to be the designated hitter and bat fifth in Wednesday’s series finale.
The White Sox, trying to begin a critical 10-game road trip with a sweep of the Indians, remain four games behind Minnesota in the American League Central Division.
Ramirez was 2-for-10 in August and hit just eight homers this year for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who placed him on waivers last week. But the White Sox have enjoyed tremendous success with discarded players lately.
Edwin Jackson, who went 6-10 with a 5.16 ERA for Arizona this year, is 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA in five starts since being acquired by Chicago. He struck out 11 Tuesday, his third consecutive start with double-figure strikeouts, and now has 32 in his last 23 2/3 innings.
Today’s starter, Freddy Garcia, is enjoying his best season in four years – when he last pitched for the White Sox. Finally healthy again, Garcia’s 11 victories are the most since 2006, when he went 17-9 and pitched 216 innings for Chicago. His 138 innings this year are more than his previous three years combined (129).
Garcia won just once in August, beating the New York Yankees in his most recent start. He will face an Indians team mired in last place in the Central Division and constantly finding new ways to lose games.
Pierzynski’s homer sent the Indians to their 15th loss in their last 22 games and followed Monday’s loss in 11 innings.
With teams able to expand rosters beginning today, the Indians will take advantage and start Carlos Carrasco, who is making his 2010 debut after coming over from Philadelphia last season in the Cliff Lee trade.
Carrasco, 23, went 0-4 with an 8.87 ERA in five starts late last season for the Indians. One of the key pieces in the Lee deal, he went 10-6 with a 3.65 ERA this year at Triple-A Columbus. He allowed 139 hits, walked 45 and struck out 133 in 150 1/3 innings.
The right-hander is a strong candidate to start next season in the rotation, which is why the Indians want to take a long look at him this month. He is the only immediate addition to the roster. Any other September call-ups won’t be made until the Clippers’ season ends.