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Dodgers-White Sox Preview

Jun 23, 2009 - 12:00 AM By ANDY LEFKOWITZ STATS Editor

Los Angeles (46-24) at Chicago (33-36), 8:11 p.m. EDT

The Chicago White Sox are one of the lightest-hitting teams in the major leagues and don't score much at home. The return of slugger Jim Thome to the starting lineup following a long layoff could provide a boost.

Thome is expected back in his customary designated hitter role Tuesday night when the White Sox open a three-game series against the major league-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

"It will be kind of a good test to see where we are at as a club," Thome told the club's official Web site.

The White Sox (33-36) are 29th in the majors with a .219 team batting average at home and last overall with 117 runs scored at U.S. Cellular Field. Chicago is 16-18 there this season, dropping nine of 13 since last posting back-to-back wins over Pittsburgh on May 22 and 23.

Ozzie Guillen's team returns home after a 5-3 rain-shortened swing against NL opponents, capped by Sunday's 4-1 victory over Cincinnati. Since pitchers batted in those contests, Thome was 0 for 5 with two strikeouts as a pinch hitter.

"I was just thinking (Saturday) night, 'Man, it sure would be nice to get more than one at-bat,'" Thome said. "But it will be nice to get back and get into a rhythm. The bottom line is you want to get some consistent at-bats, and with pinch-hitting, you don't get that as much as you want."

Before the trip, Thome had gone deep in three of his last four home games. He's second on the club with 12 homers behind ex-Dodger Paul Konerko (15).

Now 13th all-time with 553 homers, Thome will get his first look at Hiroki Kuroda, who hasn't won since coming off the disabled list on June 1 or in interleague play.

He could blame his teammates for a lack of run support.

The right-hander, who missed nearly two months (strained oblique), is 0-3 with a 4.43 ERA in his last four starts. Los Angeles' lineup, though, has backed him with just three runs. He's also 0-3 with a 6.11 ERA in three starts against AL foes, and the Dodgers (46-24) have plated four runs for him in those games.

In a 5-4 loss to Oakland on Wednesday, Kuroda (1-3, 3.86 ERA) was tagged for five runs and seven hits in six innings. He allowed third-inning homers to Rajai Davis and Jack Cust.

"It looked like he was trying to throw the ball through the wall, and I think that's the reason for his lack of command," manager Joe Torre said. "His location wasn't what he normally has."

Kuroda has surrendered nine earned runs in 11 1-3 innings over his last two starts, and has never faced the White Sox.

Meanwhile, Chicago's John Danks (5-5, 4.48) is coming off one of his best games of the season.

Pitching on Wednesday at Wrigley Field, the left-hander held the Cubs to one run and five hits with no walks and nine strikeouts in seven-plus innings en route to a 4-1 victory.

In Danks' only career start against Los Angeles, he allowed four hits and walked four in six innings of a 2-0 victory on June 28 at Dodger Stadium.

Over his last four starts against NL clubs, Danks has given up two runs in 25 innings for an 0.72 ERA.

The White Sox limited the Dodgers to six runs in taking all three meetings in 2005 during their last series in Chicago. This is also the 50th anniversary of their matchup in the 1959 World Series, won by Los Angeles in six games.

The Dodgers took two of three in their Freeway Series with the Angels after a 5-3 win Sunday. James Loney hit a two-run homer that was held up upon review, and Clayton Kershaw tossed seven shutout innings.