Chicago @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 18, 2018 ) Chi. White Sox 3, Cleveland 5

The American League Central champion Cleveland Indians look to continue their dominance in the season series when they host the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night for the second of a three-game set. Jason Kipnis homered and Yandy Diaz knocked in two runs to support Corey Kluber’s 11-strikeout effort as the Indians took the opener 5-3 on Tuesday to improve to 11-3 against the White Sox, including 7-0 at home, this year.

Diaz boasts four RBIs in his last three games and owns 15 in 28 big-league contests in 2018 for Cleveland, which sends 16-game winner Carlos Carrasco to the mound Wednesday against Chicago’s Dylan Covey. The Indians will be resting key players periodically over the last two weeks of the regular season, but are expected to have slugger Edwin Encarnacion back in the lineup Wednesday after he missed two games with an ankle injury. The White Sox, who are 22-21 since Aug. 2, have dropped two straight after a three-game winning streak and remained 1 1/2 games behind Detroit for third place in the AL Central. Outfielder Daniel Palka is among the league’s rookie leaders in homers with 25 after launching three in the last two games for Chicago and is one behind Matt Davidson for fourth all time among White Sox rookies.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Dylan Covey (5-13, 5.64 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (16-9, 3.43)

Covey has managed just one victory since July 21 and gave up six runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks in a loss at Kansas City last time out. The 27-year-old California native earned his only victory during the rough stretch Aug. 31 against major league-best Boston with three scoreless innings of relief. Kipnis is 5-for-10 with a homer versus Covey, who is 1-2 with a 6.63 ERA in four starts this year against the Indians.

Carrasco is winless in his past three starts despite allowing just five runs (four earned) across 15 innings combined in his last two trips to the mound. The 31-year-old Venezuelan, who is two wins shy of his career high, has limited opponents to three or fewer runs in 12 of his past 14 contests. Tim Anderson is 7-for-24 with a homer and a double against Carrasco, who is 2-0 while permitting one unearned run over 14 innings versus the White Sox in 2018.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago 1B Jose Abreu is expected to miss the series due to an infection in his right thigh that forced him to be hospitalized.

2. The Indians are 26-9 in home divisional games and 44-23 overall against AL Central opponents in 2018.

3. White Sox 2B Yoan Moncada is 9-for-27 with three walks over his last seven contests after recording a pair of hits Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Indians 6, White Sox 3