• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

White Sox-Reds Preview

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:45 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Chicago (32-36) at Cincinnati (34-33), 1:10 p.m. EDT

If the Chicago White Sox could hit as well at home as they do on the road, they might have a winning record.

After rallying to win their last contest, the White Sox look to secure a winning road trip with a victory in the finale of a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

In baseball's first Civil Rights Game played during the regular season, Chicago (32-36) hit four home runs and erased a five-run deficit to win 10-8 on Saturday and even the series.

Rookie Gordon Beckham hit his first career homer and Alexei Ramirez snapped a tie game with a three-run shot to help the White Sox improve to 4-3 on an abbreviated eight-game swing.

"There was a lot going on," said Beckham, taken eighth overall in last year's baseball draft. "It was a blast."

Though the White Sox have the same 16-18 record at home and away, they're batting .280 and averaging almost five runs per contest on the road. They're hitting .219 and scoring 3.4 runs at U.S. Cellular Field.

After scuffling at the plate most of the first two months, Ramirez is batting .323 (10 for 31) with three homers and seven RBIs on the trip.

Beckham is hitting .167 in 14 games since making his major league debut on June 4, but is 6 for 20 (.300) with eight RBIs in his last six.

Mark Buehrle (6-2, 3.43 ERA) hit his first career home run in his last start, but also allowed three homers and four runs and didn't get a decision of a 5-4 win at Milwaukee last Sunday.

"I was falling behind in the count a lot," Buehrle told the White Sox official Web site.

The left-hander, who's 1-2 with a 4.07 ERA in his last seven starts, is 18-6 with a 3.69 ERA in 30 starts versus NL opponents. He allowed two runs in eight innings of a 4-2 win over the Reds on June 13, 2001.

Cincinnati counters with Aaron Harang (5-6, 3.65), who's 0-1 in his last three starts, but hasn't allowed a run in his last 11 2-3 innings.

A 1-hour, 54-minute rain delay ended his most recent start after he gave up three hits in two innings of a 7-2 win over Atlanta on Tuesday.

"That's the best Aaron has thrown this year," manager Dusty Baker told the Reds' official Web site. "He was on his way to an excellent ballgame. I hope he remembers that and keeps that tempo and that rhythm and takes it out there next time."

The right-hander is 9-7 with a 3.12 ERA in 22 interleague starts. He gave up three runs while striking out nine in 6 2-3 innings of an 8-1 loss to the White Sox on June 18, 2006.

Jay Bruce hit his team-leading 17th homer and Brandon Phillips added two hits Saturday for the Reds (34-33), who dropped to 3-5 in interleague play.

Though Phillips has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, it's uncertain if he'll be in the lineup after leaving Saturday's contest with a right thumb injury. The second baseman suffered a hairline fracture of the same thumb last month.

Chicago is 13-3 versus Cincinnati since interleague play began.