Cleveland @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2019 ) Cleveland 3, Chi. White Sox 8

The Cleveland Indians’ dreams of an American League Central title have officially ended and their chances at a wild-card spot will be slim if they cannot win the rubber match of the three-game series at the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night. The Indians gave up three runs in the first inning en route to an 8-3 setback Wednesday, falling 1 1/2 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the race for the AL’s second wild card.

The top five batters in the Cleveland order went 0-for-20 with eight strikeouts in Wednesday’s loss, but Jose Ramirez homered for the third time in two games since missing a month with a hand injury and Franmil Reyes recorded three hits in the setback - only the second in nine games for the Indians. Aaron Civale looks to give Cleveland a chance to make up ground when he takes the ball in the series finale and Chicago counters with fellow rookie right-hander Dylan Cease, who has begun to show some big-league promise in his last few outings. Tim Anderson had four hits to improve his major league-best batting average to .339 in the victory for the White Sox and has hit safely in 12 straight contests, going 22-for-55 in that stretch. Slugger Jose Abreu added three hits and his AL-best 122nd RBI for Chicago, which clinched the season series 10-8 with Wednesday’s triumph and moved within one of reaching 70 wins for the first time in three years.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), NBCS Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Aaron Civale (3-3, 1.82 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Dylan Cease (4-7, 5.79)

Civale has given up two earned runs or fewer in all nine of his starts with the Indians after holding Detroit to one run on four hits over 7 2/3 innings of a no-decision last Wednesday. The 24-year-old Connecticut native has served up just two homers across 54 1/3 innings and is 1-2 with a 2.43 ERA in five starts on the road this year. Leury Garcia is 2-for-3 with a double versus Civale, who gave up three runs (one earned) on seven hits over five innings to beat the White Sox on Sept. 2.

Cease has strung together two straight strong starts, limiting Seattle to one run over five innings in a no-decision on Sept. 14 before beating Detroit with six innings of one-run ball six days later. The 23-year-old Georgia native is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in four outings this month after going 2-4 with a 6.97 mark during August. Francisco Lindor is 1-for-3 with a homer against Cease, who allowed four runs with a season-best 11 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings of a no-decision at Cleveland on Sept. 3.

WALK-OFFS

1. Garcia homered to extend his hitting streak to eight games (12-for-35) on Wednesday, but left with a sore shoulder.

2. Cleveland OF Yasiel Puig was hitless in three at-bats with a walk Wednesday, but is 16-for-33 in his last nine games.

3. Chicago’s rookie LF Eloy Jimenez (ear and throat infection) missed Wednesday’s game, but could be back Thursday.

PREDICTION: Indians 6, White Sox 3