Final
  for this game

White Sox-Reds Preview

Jun 20, 2009 - 4:15 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Chicago (31-35) at Cincinnati (33-32), 7:40 p.m. EDT

Aside from a pair of home runs, the Chicago White Sox failed to generate much offense in their opener against the Cincinnati Reds.

To avoid extending their funk, Chicago's hitters will try to overcome the NL's ERA leader and their previous struggles in facing a starter for the first time as they continue a three-game series with the Reds on Saturday night at the Great American Ball Park.

Chicago, which averaged 5.3 runs in winning three of its previous four games, managed only four hits in Friday night's 4-3 loss. Chris Getz gave his team an early lead with his first career homer, a two-run shot in the fourth inning, and Paul Konerko hit his 300th with the White Sox - a solo shot in the ninth.

"The ballclub didn't do too much offensively," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Jose (Contreras) threw a good game. We just didn't help him."

Brandon Phillips had a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth and added a sacrifice fly for the Reds, who snapped a nine-game skid against the White Sox.

"I don't know what it was. Just a home run pitch." Phillips said after his first home run in 53 at-bats.

The Reds (34-32) also took their second win over Chicago in 10 home meetings since interleague play began in 1997 and are 3-12 in regular-season meetings against the White Sox.

Cincinnati right-hander Johnny Cueto (6-4, 2.17 ERA) looks for his third win in four starts this month. In a 7-1 loss to Kansas City on Sunday, he gave up five runs - all unearned - due to a pair of errors by third baseman Jerry Hairston. Despite the defeat, Cueto's ERA dipped from 1.35 to 0.93 in June.

The White Sox (31-36) are 3-7 when facing a starter for the first time, but two of those wins have come in recent interleague play. Pitchers making their first start against the White Sox were 7-1 with a 1.52 ERA before Chicago scored 10 runs in beating Milwaukee's Manny Parra and Braden Looper last week.

Clayton Richard (2-1, 3.76) will also make his first career start against the Reds, but like Cueto, he was hurt by a fielding miscue in his previous start - his own - in a 7-2 loss Friday night in Milwaukee.

The left-hander made a throwing error that eventually led to three Brewers runs in the sixth inning and his exit. The left-hander allowed one unearned run and walked three in five-plus innings and did not factor in the decision.

The White Sox are 3-3 in their current 14-game stretch against NL opponents and 5-4 in interleague play. Cincinnati improved to 3-4 in interleague play with Friday's victory and still has series left with AL opponents Toronto and Cleveland.








  • ML
    FINAL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    CHI WHITE SOX 0 0 0 3 2 3 0 2 0 10 15 4
    CINCINNATI 2 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 1 8 14 1 (FINAL)

    BATTERIES: CHA - CLAYTON RICHARD, D.J. CARRASCO (4TH), OCTAVIO DOTEL (6TH),
    MATT THORNTON (7TH), SCOTT LINEBRINK (8TH), BOBBY JENKS (9TH)
    AND A.J. PIERZYNSKI
    CIN - JOHNNY CUE

    Jun 20 11:22 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    SOLO HOME RUN BY JAY BRUCE (17) TO RIGHT WITH 2 OUT IN THE
    9TH OFF BOBBY JENKS.
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 10, CINCINNATI 8
    DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: R HANIGAN (.322, 1-FOR-4)

    White Sox 10, Reds 8  Bot 9, 0 OutsJun 20 11:19 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY ALEXEI RAMIREZ SCORED DEWAYNE WISE.
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, A RAMIREZ ON SECOND, S PODSEDNIK ON THIRD, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 10
    CINCINNATI 7 TOP, 8TH
    DUE UP FOR CHI WHITE SOX: A PIERZYNSKI (.291, 1-FOR-4, HR, RBI)

    White Sox 10, Reds 7  Top 8, 0 OutsJun 20 10:47 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY SCOTT PODSEDNIK SCORED GORDON BECKHAM.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, S PODSEDNIK ON FIRST, D WISE ON THIRD, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 9
    CINCINNATI 7 TOP, 8TH
    DUE UP FOR CHI WHITE SOX: A RAMIREZ (.259, 3-FOR-4, HR, 3 RBI)

    White Sox 9, Reds 7  Top 8, 0 OutsJun 20 10:41 PM
  • 27
    roots
    RUWTbot Took away 35 roots

    White Sox 9, Reds 7  Top 8, 0 OutsJun 20 10:41 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY RAMON HERNANDEZ SCORED BRANDON PHILLIPS.
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, R HERNANDEZ ON FIRST, W CASTILLO ON THIRD, 0 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 8
    CINCINNATI 7 BOTTOM, 7TH
    DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J BRUCE (.212, 1-FOR-3)

    White Sox 8, Reds 7  Bot 7, 0 OutsJun 20 10:21 PM
  • 62
    roots
    RUWTbot Added 35 roots (Close Finish)

    White Sox 8, Reds 7  Bot 7, 0 OutsJun 20 10:21 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY WILKIN CASTILLO SCORED JERRY HAIRSTON JR..
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, W CASTILLO ON SECOND, B PHILLIPS ON THIRD, 0 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 8
    CINCINNATI 6 BOTTOM, 7TH
    DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: R HERNANDEZ (.244, 0-FOR-2, BB)

    White Sox 8, Reds 6  Bot 7, 0 OutsJun 20 10:20 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY ALEXEI RAMIREZ (8) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT
    IN THE 6TH OFF NICK MASSET SCORED DEWAYNE WISE AND SCOTT PODSEDNIK.
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 8, CINCINNATI 5
    DUE UP FOR CHI WHITE SOX: A PIERZYNSKI (.293, 1-FOR-3, HR, RBI)

    White Sox 8, Reds 5  Top 6, 0 OutsJun 20 9:51 PM
  • 27
    roots
    RUWTbot Added 22 roots

    White Sox 5, Reds 5  Bot 5, 0 OutsJun 20 9:22 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    SOLO HOME RUN BY A.J. PIERZYNSKI (7) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 1
    OUT IN THE 5TH OFF JOHNNY CUETO.
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 5, CINCINNATI 5
    DUE UP FOR CHI WHITE SOX: P KONERKO (.292, 1-FOR-2)

    White Sox 5, Reds 5  Top 5, 0 OutsJun 20 9:13 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    SOLO HOME RUN BY SCOTT PODSEDNIK (2) TO RIGHT WITH 0 OUT IN
    THE 5TH OFF JOHNNY CUETO.
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 4, CINCINNATI 5
    DUE UP FOR CHI WHITE SOX: A RAMIREZ (.253, 1-FOR-2)

    White Sox 4, Reds 5  Top 5, 0 OutsJun 20 9:08 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY GORDON BECKHAM (1) TO LEFT WITH 1 OUT
    IN THE 4TH OFF JOHNNY CUETO SCORED BRIAN ANDERSON AND CHRIS GETZ.
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 3, CINCINNATI 5
    DUE UP FOR CHI WHITE SOX: D WISE (.130, 0-FOR-1)

    White Sox 3, Reds 5  Top 4, 0 OutsJun 20 8:53 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY JONNY GOMES (2) TO LEFT WITH 1 OUT IN
    THE 3RD OFF CLAYTON RICHARD SCORED BRANDON PHILLIPS.
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 0, CINCINNATI 5
    DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: R HERNANDEZ (.245, 0-FOR-1)

    White Sox 0, Reds 5  Bot 3, 0 OutsJun 20 8:40 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    SACRIFICE FLY BY JERRY HAIRSTON JR. SCORED WILLY TAVERAS.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 0
    CINCINNATI 3 BOTTOM, 3RD
    DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: B PHILLIPS (.279, 0-FOR-0, BB)

    White Sox 0, Reds 3  Bot 3, 0 OutsJun 20 8:36 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    ERROR BY A.J. PIERZYNSKI ALLOWED WILLY TAVERAS AND BRANDON
    PHILLIPS TO SCORE.
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 0
    CINCINNATI 2 BOTTOM, 1ST
    DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J GOMES (.302, 0-FOR-0)

    White Sox 0, Reds 2  Bot 1, 0 OutsJun 20 8:04 PM


  • ML
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    ERROR BY A.J. PIERZYNSKI ALLOWED WILLY TAVERAS TO SCORE.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B PHILLIPS ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 0
    CINCINNATI 1 BOTTOM, 1ST
    DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J GOMES (.302, 0-FOR-0)

    White Sox 0, Reds 1  Bot 1, 0 OutsJun 20 8:04 PM
  • 5
    roots
    GREGnKY Added 5 roots

    White Sox vs. RedsJun 20 9:24 AM