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Indians-White Sox Preview

Jun 7, 2009 - 12:58 AM By JUSTIN EINHORN STATS Senior Editor

Cleveland (24-33) at Chicago (25-29), 2:05 p.m. EDT

The Chicago White Sox have been dismal at the plate lately. Just because they're facing a struggling rookie pitcher who is winless in the majors doesn't mean those hitting woes are about to end.

Chicago's lineup hopes to avoid being shut down by another unfamiliar face Sunday and lift the team to victory in the deciding game of a series with the Cleveland Indians.

The White Sox (26-29) are batting .194 in six games this month and only eight of their 35 hits have gone for extra bases. They ended a 23-inning scoreless drought on Paul Konerko's sacrifice fly in the first inning Saturday, and Scott Podsednik's RBI single in the seventh ended their 0-for-25 drought with runners in scoring position in a 4-2 win.

"We didn't have that many hits (seven), but we still played good, we moved the guy over, we bunt a guy over, we got a sacrifice fly when we needed it," manager Ozzie Guillen said.

The opener of this three-game set saw Chicago suffer a fourth straight loss and get shut out for the third time in that span, falling 6-0 as Cleveland's Carl Pavano threw a three-hitter on Friday. A day earlier against Oakland, the White Sox were befuddled by rookie Brett Anderson for seven innings in a 7-0 defeat.

That matchup is the most recent of 10 games this season in which Chicago faced a starting pitcher for the first time. The starters opposing the White Sox in those games are 7-1 with a 1.52 ERA.

"The scouting reports, you believe in them, because they're there for a reason," Guillen said after the loss to Anderson and the A's. "The videos are there for a reason. Maybe we try to acknowledge too much who we're going to face, maybe. To me, the philosophy is see the ball, put the best swing on the ball and see what happens."

Guillen's team hopes to end the trend against David Huff (0-2, 9.77 ERA), making his fifth major league start.

The 24-year-old left-hander had not lasted past the fourth inning until pitching five Tuesday, but he gave up four runs and nine hits in a 4-3 loss at Minnesota. Opposing batters are hitting .370 against him.

"The more I go out there, the more comfortable I am and the more confident I am," Huff told the Indians' official Web site. "That's a good thing."

While Huff's big-league career is just beginning, Bartolo Colon (3-5, 3.75) faces the team with which his career started in 1997. Colon, who also won 15 games with the White Sox in 2003, has not faced the Indians since 2005 but has generally pitched well against them, going 4-2 with a 3.49 ERA in seven starts.

Limited to 35 starts from 2006-08 due to injuries, Colon has remained healthy in his first season back with Chicago but has been inconsistent. He's given up at least five runs in five starts, but has a 1.21 ERA in the other five.

The right-hander is all too familiar with Chicago's struggling offense, getting seven runs of support over his last eight starts. Colon lost for the fourth time in six starts Tuesday in a 5-0 defeat to Oakland, giving up five runs - two earned - and six hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Cleveland slugger Travis Hafner is 0 for 15 against Colon but is getting the day off to rest his surgically repaired right shoulder.

The White Sox will welcome back one of their top hitters with Jermaine Dye having finished a two-game suspension for arguing with an umpire.

While Chicago has scored a major league-low 92 runs at home, the Indians (24-34) lead the majors with 182 runs on the road.