Chicago @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 4, 2016 ) Chi. White Sox 6, Detroit 3

The Detroit Tigers are hoping a pair of losses will not turn into a longer slide as they try to stay in the wild card race in the American League. The Tigers will see their third straight opponent with a losing record when they host the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

Detroit had no trouble breezing through a three-game road sweep of the Minnesota Twins last week but struggled a bit with the bats when they returned home and dropped two of three to the Los Angeles Angels. The Tigers totaled two runs in losses on Saturday and Sunday, capped by a 5-0 shutout, and fell two games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the second wild card while remaining 4 1/2 in back of the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central. The White Sox have been out of the race but are still making their presence fell and did Detroit a favor by taking three of four from wild-card contender Seattle over the weekend. Chicago has won six of eight overall to pull within three games of .500, and its pitching staff is surrendering an average of 2.9 runs in that span.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, WPWR (Chicago), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH James Shields (5-16, 5.98 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Matt Boyd (5-2, 3.98)

Shields was sharp in July but is battling through a terrible August, going 0-4 with a 13.95 ERA in five starts this month. The 34-year-old surrendered 11 home runs in 15 innings over his last four turns and completed six innings only once in August. Shields’ tough month began at Detroit on Aug. 2, when he was lit up for six runs on nine hits and a pair of walks in five innings.

Boyd is looking for his fourth straight quality start and allowed a total of four runs in 19 innings over his last three outings. The Oregon State product struck out seven in six innings at Minnesota on Wednesday while scattering three runs and five hits. Boyd struggled in two career starts against Chicago, allowing a total of nine runs – seven earned - and 12 hits in 8 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. White Sox OF Adam Eaton left Sunday’s game after being hit by a pitch in the right forearm but x-rays were negative and he is day-to-day.

2. Detroit SS Jose Iglesias is 4-for-31 over his last nine games.

3. Chicago 1B Jose Abreu went 0-for-1 with a sacrifice fly and two HBPs on Sunday to snap a 10-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Tigers 9, White Sox 3