GDT: 9/17/10 - DET (72-74) AT CWS (79-67) - 8:10 p.m. ET

White Sox try to stay afloat with Tigers in town

By Jordan Schelling / MLB.com

With back-to-back losses to the Twins this week in a crucial home series, the White Sox find themselves quickly falling out of the playoff race. Eight games out of first with 17 games to play, the White Sox will look to turn things around as they host the Tigers for a series opener on Friday.

Looking to keep their dwindling playoff hopes alive, the White Sox will send to the mound Edwin Jackson, who has struggled this month after dominating in August after coming over from the D-backs.

Jackson is 0-1 with a 7.30 ERA in September, giving up 10 runs on 22 hits in 12 1/3 innings. In August, the right-hander tossed 36 2/3 innings over five starts, posting a 3-0 mark with a 1.47 ERA, allowing just six earned runs with 45 strikeouts against eight walks.

If the White Sox are to get back on track, they'll need Jackson to do likewise.

"This is one day where I can say I got hit," said Jackson, who exited his last start after 94 pitches. "Sometimes you get hit, sometimes you don't. That's the game. Just take your bumps and bruises and continue to move forward."

Jackson will square off against Max Scherzer.

Similar to Jackson, Scherzer has struggled in his last two starts, posting an 0-1 mark with a 5.40 ERA over 13 1/3 innings. In his previous 14 starts, from June 20 to Sept. 1, Scherzer had gone 7-3 with a 1.60 ERA.

Over that stretch, Scherzer allowed 17 earned runs on 64 hits while striking out 92 batters against 35 walks in 95 2/3 innings.

Scherzer's problem in his last start against the Orioles came as a result of struggles with his off-speed pitches after getting ahead in the count.

"They were all really hacking at that first-pitch fastball," Scherzer said. "You know they are going to be aggressive. That's when you really need your off-speed pitches. I hung too many sliders, and left too many changeups up in the zone. When you combine their approach with that, they are going to be able to get some base hits."

Tigers: Wells continues to excel
Posting a perfect 4-for-4 night, rookie outfielder Casper Wells provided the silver lining in Tuesday's 11-4 loss to the Rangers. For Wells, the impressive night continued what has been an even more impressive start to his Major League career.

The 25-year-old Wells had 20 hits in his first 56 Major League at-bats. He's also homered twice and driven in 10 runs in the last 14 games.

Wells joined center fielder Austin Jackson as the second Tigers rookie to be perfect at the plate in at least four at-bats this season. On April 30 against the Angels, Jackson went 5-for-5.

"Looking at it at the end of the day, it's pretty special," Wells said. "But it's not as satisfying when the team doesn't win."

White Sox: Pena could start Saturday
Due to pain in his back on Tuesday, starter Freddy Garcia had to cut a side session short. He may try to throw again on Thursday, but is unlikely to make his scheduled start on Saturday.

Instead of Garcia, reliever Tony Pena seems to be the choice most favored by White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. During an Aug. 21 start against the Royals, Pena gave up four runs over seven innings.

"Right now, the situation we [face], I think we would be better off with the veteran pitcher in Pena," Guillen said. "But we got to see if we use him here in the next couple games or next start, but I don't expect Freddy to start a game."

Worth noting
With five more runs scored and four more hits, Austin Jackson would become just the ninth player in Major League history since 1901 to collect at least 100 runs scored, 170 hits, 30 doubles, 10 triples and 20 stolen bases as a rookie. Most recently, then-Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra (1997) and Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez (2006) each accomplished the feat.

... Chicago has committed 21 errors in its last 20 games.

... In the third inning of Wednesday's game, A.J. Pierzynski of the White Sox joined Kansas City's Jason Kendall as the only two backstops to catch at least 1,000 innings in each of the last nine seasons.



Pitching matchup

TIGERS: RHP Max Scherzer (10-10, 3.60 ERA)
Scherzer's run of five straight solid starts ended with a relative crash last Saturday against the Orioles, who roughed him up for 12 hits and four runs over six innings. He's 0-1 with a 3.74 ERA in three starts against the White Sox this year.

WHITE SOX: RHP Edwin Jackson (3-1, 2.94 ERA)
The worst performance of Jackson's seven starts with the White Sox came on Saturday against the Royals, when he allowed six runs on 13 hits over five-plus innings. Jackson gets to face one of his former teams, the Tigers, for the fifth time in 2010.



INJURY UPDATE:
• RHP Zach Miner (Partial tear in right elbow, 60-day DL on March 26, Had successful Tommy John surgery May 28, Out for Season),
• LHP Bobby Seay (Torn rotator cuff, 60-day DL on March 26, surgery on September 15, Out for Season),
• OF Magglio Ordonez (right ankle fracture, 15-day DL on July 25, Had surgery surgery Aug. 25, Out for Season),
• INF Danny Worth (bruised left heel, 15-day DL on August 4, Out for Season),
• RHP Joel Zumaya (non-displaced fracture of the olecranon, 60-day DL on June 29, Underwent elbow surgery July 12, Out for Season).
• Carlos Guillen (Bruised left knee, 15-day DL on August 23, Out for Season)


Out for Season



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Up next (Probable Pitchers)


• Saturday, September 18,
TIGERS (RHP Justin Verlander (16-8, 3.48 ERA)) AT WHITE SOX (RHP Lucas Harrell (1-0, 4.50 ERA)), 4:10 p.m. ET (FOX / AM 1270 & 97.1 FM)

• Sunday, September 19,
TIGERS (RHP Jeremy Bonderman (8-9, 5.04 ERA)) AT WHITE SOX (LHP John Danks (13-11, 3.60 ERA)), 8:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / AM 1270 & 97.1 FM)

• Monday, September 20,
TIGERS (RHP Rick Porcello (9-11, 5.10 ERA)) VS ROYALS (RHP Zack Greinke (9-12, 3.90 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / AM 1270 & 97.1 FM)

STARTING LINEUPS:

Detroit AVG
Jackson, A, CF .300
Rhymes, 2B .293
Damon, DH .272
Cabrera, M, 1B .333
Kelly, LF .245
Raburn, RF .273
Peralta, J, SS .252
Inge, 3B .250
Avila, C .214
Totals .269

Chi White Sox AVG
Pierre, LF .274
Ramirez, A, SS .282
Ramirez, M, DH .308
Jones, An, CF .228
Teahen, RF .259
Castro, R, C .300
Kotsay, 1B .235
Morel, 3B .222
Lillibridge, 2B .274
Totals .269

i hate to say it, but i have low expectations. they're playing like they don't care. at least they could try for a better record to end the year. and how about that wonderful acting job to get Jeter a base? sheesh.