Minnesota @ Chicago preview
Guaranteed Rate Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 19, 2010 ) Chi. White Sox 11, Minnesota 0
The Minnesota Twins could have the AL Central all but wrapped up by the end of the week. The Chicago White Sox likely need a sweep just to give themselves a chance over the final two weeks.
Hold on tight. The final series of the year between the division’s top two teams begins on Tuesday.
The Twins begin the week with a season-high six-game lead in the Central over the White Sox. Minnesota took two of three from Chicago in a series that began on Aug. 10 and hasn’t posted a 22-9 record since then. For their part, the White Sox are 16-15 over the same stretch.
It won’t get any easier for Chicago in Tuesday’s opener, since it will face one of the hottest pitchers in the American League. Francisco Liriano has been brilliant since the All-Star break.
Liriano enters Tuesday with a brilliant 7-0 mark and 2.22 ERA in 10 starts since the All-Star break and appears to be regaining the form that made him one of the game’s best young left-handers just a couple of years ago. He has fanned 65 in 65 2/3 innings during that same stretch and has a career-high 182 strikeouts this year.
The hurler set a new high for wins last week when he allowed two runs in seven innings to defeat the Kansas City Royals for his 13th victory. He is 2-0 with a 4.07 ERA in four starts against the White Sox.
Liriano hasn’t lost since July 9 when he allowed seven runs in 1 2/3 innings at the Detroit Tigers. That capped a string of losing four consecutive decisions for Liriano, but he hasn’t lost again.
With an off day Monday, the White Sox had the opportunity to reshuffle their rotation before the pivotal series, but there was no need.
Chicago will start John Danks on Tuesday, followed by Gavin Floyd and Mark Buehrle. The trio has been Chicago’s three best pitchers this season.
With Danks and Buehrle, the Twins will face a pair of lefties who both have pitched well against them in the past.
Danks only has one win in his last five starts, but he threw eight shutout innings in the play-in game against Minnesota two years ago.
Danks allowed five runs - two earned - in six innings in his most recent start, a loss to the Tigers last week.
He is 2-1 with a 4.24 ERA in five starts this year against the Twins. The hurler is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA against the Twins at home.