Chicago @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2013 ) Chi. White Sox 5, Detroit 12

The Chicago White Sox showed little resistance in the series opener but will try their hand at playing spoiler again Saturday when they face the host Detroit Tigers in the middle contest of a three-game set. The Tigers blasted the White Sox 12-5 on Friday, getting four hits and three RBIs from Torii Hunter in support of 20-game winner Max Scherzer. Detroit has won five of its last six and eight of 10 to all but lock up its third straight American League Central crown, lowering its magic number to three as it leads Cleveland by six games.

The White Sox, who have lost 17 of 21 overall and are 6-11 against Detroit, need at least three wins in their final nine games to avoid their first 100-loss season since going 56-106 in 1970. They send ace left-hander Chris Sale to the mound to try to deliver against Detroit right-hander Rick Porcello. The Tigers are poised to go over 3 million in home attendance for the second straight year and the fourth time in history, sitting at 2,999,926 heading into Saturday.

TV: 7:08 p.m. ET, CSN (Chicago), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Chris Sale (11-13, 3.08 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Rick Porcello (13-8, 4.45)

Sale was roughed up for six runs in 5 2/3 innings his last time out, suffering the loss against Cleveland and snapping a streak of three straight quality starts. The 24-year-old allowed three home runs and has surrendered nine over his last five starts. Sale is 4-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 17 games (seven starts) against the Tigers, including a 3-1 mark and a 2.27 ERA in four meetings this year.

Porcello has won two straight starts and four of his last five after racking up 10 strikeouts over six innings of one-run ball against Seattle on Monday. The 24-year-old is one win shy of matching his career high set as a rookie in 2009 and tied in 2011. Porcello is 9-5 with a 3.96 ERA in 16 starts against the White Sox and has faced them five times this season, going 4-0 with a 2.02 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. Detroit C/DH Victor Martinez, who is riding a seven-game hitting streak, is 11-for-19 with two doubles and a homer versus Sale. The rest of the Tigers are a combined 27-for-159 (.170) against the left-hander.

2. White Sox 1B Paul Konerko is 13-for-37 with three doubles and a homer against Porcello. Konerko is batting .196 in 13 games versus Detroit this season.

3. Tigers SS Jose Iglesias missed Friday's game with a bruised left hand suffered when he was hit with a pitch by Seattle's Tom Wilhelmsen on Thursday. He is listed as day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Tigers 5, White Sox 3