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Athletics-White Sox Preview

Jun 3, 2009 - 4:59 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Oakland (19-30) at Chicago (25-25), 8:11 p.m. EDT

Oakland's young starting pitchers have been giving the Chicago White Sox trouble in the first two nights of a four-game series at U.S. Cellular Field and now they'll have to face another one.

After being shut out by a rookie in his major league debut, the White Sox hope for better luck in their first meeting with 24-year-old left-hander Josh Outman, who takes the mound for the Athletics on Wednesday night.

Although they've split the first two games of this series with Oakland (20-30), the White Sox (25-26) are batting .190 and are 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position in those contests. They were shut out for the seventh time this season in a 5-0 loss Tuesday, snapping a season-high four-game winning streak.

Chicago, which scored 29 runs over the previous four games, managed just five singles against Vin Mazzaro and the Oakland bullpen Tuesday. Mazzaro lasted 6 1-3 innings in his major league debut, giving up three hits while walking four to help lead the AL-worst A's to their second win in seven games.

"It was awesome," Mazzaro said. "A great feeling. Especially getting a W out of it. It doesn't get any better than that."

It was the first time the White Sox were shut out since May 13, when a 4-0 loss to Cleveland started a season-high five-game losing streak. Leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik gave them an early chance to score in the first when he singled and stole second, but he was quickly picked off.

It didn't help that three of the runs allowed by Bartolo Colon were unearned after Wilson Betemit's error in the fifth. He has five errors in 20 games this season and was starting after Josh Fields went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts Monday.

"I try to play him the most I can but I need better defense from him," manager Ozzie Guillen said.

Chicago will try to bounce back against Outman (2-0, 3.06 ERA), who is in his second year in the majors.

Though he has only two wins in eight starts this season, the left-hander has been one of the more consistent starters for the A's. He hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his starts while pitching at least six innings in each of his last four appearances.

Outman pitched 6 2-3 innings against Texas on Friday, allowing three runs and three hits while striking out a career-high nine in a 6-2 loss.

Clayton Richard (2-0, 3.38) counters for the White Sox in his fifth start of the season. After failing to get a decision in his first two starts, Richard has been solid in his last two. He pitched seven innings against Kansas City on Friday, yielding two runs and six hits while striking out seven in an 11-2 victory.

Richard will face an Oakland lineup that was 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position Tuesday and is batting .215 over the past eight games. Jack Cust had two RBIs Tuesday, including a solo homer in the fourth, while Matt Holliday added a bases-clearing double.

The A's have the lowest batting average in the majors at .239.