Chicago @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 21, 2016 ) Chi. White Sox 3, Boston 1

The Chicago White Sox are making the best offense in baseball look positively ordinary this week, and the strong starting pitching has them on the verge of a .500 record and a series win. The White Sox will try to clinch the series and reach the break-even point when they visit the slumping Boston Red Sox in the third of a four-game set on Wednesday.

Chicago’s offense has not managed more than three runs in any of the last five games and lost twice on walk-offs over the weekend in Cleveland before putting together just enough at the plate to support the staff against the Red Sox. Miguel Gonzalez and Chris Sale were each strong in 3-1 wins on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, and Todd Frazier busted out of a lengthy slump with a home run to spark the offense on Tuesday. The Red Sox, who lead the majors with 392 runs scored, have totaled four in the last three games. Hanley Ramirez is the most notable struggling hitter at the moment and is 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in the series.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Chicago, NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Jose Quintana (5-7, 2.63 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 6.97)

Quintana is 0-6 in his last seven starts despite allowing three or fewer earned runs in five of those outings. The Colombia native received a total of 10 runs of support in those seven outings and did not factor in the decision at Cleveland on Friday while allowing two runs in 7 2/3 innings. Quintana has never lost to Boston, going 3-0 with a 1.94 ERA in six career starts, and scattered one run and four hits over eight innings to beat the Red Sox at home on May 3.

Rodriguez was one of the few positives in an otherwise forgettable 2015 campaign, but a knee injury in spring training delayed his 2016 debut and he has struggled since returning to the rotation on May 31. The Venezuela native failed to make it through five innings in either of his last two turns and was ripped for five runs on eight hits and a pair of walks against Baltimore on Thursday. Rodriguez is making his first career start against the White Sox and is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in two starts at home.

WALK-OFFS

1. The White Sox placed RHP Zach Putnam (elbow) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled RHP Chris Beck.

2. Boston CF Mookie Betts is 0-for-8 in the series after going 5-for-9 in the previous two games.

3. Chicago RHP David Robertson earned a save in each of the first two games of the series with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

PREDICTION: White Sox 5, Red Sox 2