Tampa Bay @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 30, 2012 ) Tampa Bay 6, Chi. White Sox 2

The Tampa Bay Rays were counting on their starting pitching depth to once again keep them in the race in the American League East, and that pitching is starting to come around. Jeremy Hellickson will by trying to post the club’s seventh straight quality start when the Rays visit the Chicago White Sox for the opener of a four-game set on Thursday. The White Sox snapped a four-game slide and improved to 1-3 on their homestand with a win Wednesday.

Chicago has fallen into last place in the AL Central due mostly to an offense that has failed to score more than three runs in five straight games. The White Sox rank near the bottom of the league in on-base percentage and batting average with runners in scoring position. That struggling offense will go up against a Tampa Bay rotation that is working on its second straight quality turn through the rotation. Alex Cobb went 8 1/3 strong innings to keep it going on Wednesday as the Rays picked up their fifth win in the last six games.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay) Comcast SportsNet Plus (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (1-1, 3.55 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Chris Sale (1-2, 4.50)

Hellickson is coming off his best outing of the young season, when he allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings to pick up a win over Oakland on Saturday. The 26-year-old right-hander has shown off his strong command with six walks in 25 1/3 total innings and has held right-handed hitters to a .132 batting average. Hellickson has made one start in his career at Chicago, allowing three runs (two earned) and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings to suffer a loss last September.

Sale was hurt by a lack of support at Toronto last week, when he took the loss despite holding the Blue Jays to three runs (two earned) and four hits in seven innings. The left-hander has not won since going 7 2/3 scoreless innings on Opening Day. Sale has notched 24 strikeouts in 13 total innings against Tampa Bay but is 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA in the four games (two starts).

WALK-OFFS

1. Rays 3B Evan Longoria went 0-for-4 on Wednesday to snap a string of 20 straight games reaching base to begin the season, which matched Jorge Cantu’s club record.

2. Chicago DH Adam Dunn is 1-for-37 over the last 11 games and is batting an even .100

3. Tampa Bay closer Fernando Rodney has only had one perfect inning among his eight appearances and has issued six walks in 7 1/3 innings after yielding 15 free passes in 74 2/3 total frames in 2012.

PREDICTION: Rays 4, White Sox 2