Chicago @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 6, 2014 ) Chi. White Sox 4, LA Angels 8

Chris Sale has dominated Los Angeles hitters during his career and has been superb against all comers this season as he leads the Chicago White Sox against the host Angels on Saturday. Sale is 3-0 against Los Angeles and has allowed just one run in 24 career innings over five appearances (three starts). The left-hander has been superb in 2014 and tossed a complete-game two-hitter in a 4-1 win over San Diego in his last turn.

The Angels did have productive bats in Friday’s 8-4 victory as Kole Calhoun homered and drove in three runs and Albert Pujols hit the 507th homer of his career as Los Angeles won for just the second time in seven games. Outfielder Josh Hamilton displayed signs of getting his timing down as he went 2-or-4 with an RBI double after going 1-for-11 in his first three games since returning from a thumb injury that sidelined him nearly two months. Chicago slugger Adam Dunn went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and hit a two-run homer in the ninth to become the 36th player in major-league history to reach 450 for his career.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Chris Sale (5-0, 1.59 ERA) vs. Angels RH Matt Shoemaker (3-1, 4.03)

Sale struck out nine and walked none in the stellar effort against the Padres that represented the sixth complete game of his career. He has struck out 23 and walked just one in 18 innings since coming off the disabled list, giving up only one run and three hits during the stretch. Sale had 52 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings while giving up just 19 hits and eight walks for a superb 0.60 WHIP.

Shoemaker is 3-0 as a starter this season but hasn’t worked more than six innings in any of his outings. He beat Seattle on May 29 when he gave up three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings in his fourth start of the season. Shoemaker allowed two solo homers against Houston on Tuesday when he pitched one inning of relief.

WALK-OFFS

1. Calhoun’s two-hit game Friday was his third over his last eight games.

2. Chicago 3B Conor Gillaspie had two hits in the opener and is 12-for-30 over his last nine games.

3. Hamilton (1-for-11), Pujols (1-for-9) and CF Mike Trout (1-for-8) all struggle against Sale.

PREDICTION: Angels 4, White Sox 2