Chicago @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 22, 2016 ) Chi. White Sox 8, Boston 6

The Boston Red Sox figured to pad their home record this week with the slumping Chicago White Sox coming to town but instead are sliding down the standings. The Red Sox will try to avoid a four-game sweep when they host the White Sox in the series finale on Thursday.

Boston suffered a pair of 3-1 losses in the first two games of the series before getting its league-leading offense back in gear while jumping out to a 6-4 lead on Wednesday. The bullpen let the Red Sox down in the 8-6 setback when Koji Uehara, who was rocked for a pair of home runs, brought back some questions about the team’s ability to get the ball from the starters to closer Craig Kimbrel. Chicago was swept by the Cleveland Indians last weekend and appeared to be slipping out of the race in the American League Central before battling to the three straight wins at Fenway Park to pull back to .500 at 36-36. The White Sox begin a six-game homestand on Friday and will play 12 of the final 15 games prior to the All-Star break in their own park.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH James Shields (2-9, 6.28 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (8-2, 3.76)

Shields was brought in to provide a veteran presence and stabilize the rotation behind Chris Sale and Jose Quintana but has been nothing short of awful in his return to the American League. The 34-year-old did not even make it out of the second inning while being charged with eight runs at Cleveland on Saturday and surrendered a total of 21 earned runs and 24 hits in 8 2/3 innings since joining Chicago. Shields has plenty of experience against Boston from his time spent with the Tampa Bay Rays and is 2-9 with a 5.42 ERA in 13 starts at Fenway Park.

Porcello snapped a four-start winless streak by holding the Seattle Mariners to two runs on eight hits and no walks in six innings on Saturday. The New Jersey native has gone at least six innings in each of his last five outings and issued just 17 walks in 88 2/3 total innings on the season. Porcello saw a lot of Chicago when he was with Detroit and is 10-8 with a 4.09 ERA in 21 career starts against the White Sox.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox UTL Brock Holt (concussion) will continue his rehab at Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday.

2. Chicago 3B Todd Frazier homered in each of the last two games to remain tied with Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and Baltimore’s Mark Trumbo for first place in the majors with 21.

3. Boston 3B Travis Shaw (shin contusion) left Wednesday’s game and is day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 10, White Sox 4