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Rays-White Sox Preview

Jul 22, 2009 - 6:03 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (51-42) at Chicago (48-44), 8:11 p.m. EDT

After wasting a superb effort by one of their young starters on Tuesday, the Chicago White Sox will try to give Carlos Torres more support in his major league debut.

Starting for the injured John Danks, Torres takes the mound Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field where the White Sox continue their four-game set against a Tampa Bay Rays club making a habit of late-game rallies.

Coming off consecutive poor outings and with his spot in the rotation possibly at stake, White Sox left-hander Clayton Richard struck out seven and allowed one run and four hits over a career-best eight innings Tuesday. Chicago (48-45), though, lost 3-2 as closer Bobby Jenks allowed two ninth-inning runs and blew his third save.

"Unfortunately, we went to the ninth inning with the best guy we have, and he couldn't get it done," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.

Guillen will hand the ball to Torres after the team announced Tuesday that the left-handed Danks, who is 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA in his last four starts, will miss Wednesday's start due to a blister on his left index finger.

"Right now, what we have to deal with is John won't make (Wednesday's) start," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. "We will know more where he's at in the next day."

Torres, 26, was 8-4 with an International League-best 2.20 ERA in 17 games at Triple-A Charlotte. The right-hander had 98 strikeouts and yielded 72 hits in 98 innings for the Knights.

"I heard he pitched at the Triple-A All-Star Game, which is a good thing," White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "Other than that, we'll find out tomorrow."

Tampa Bay (52-42), meanwhile, will try to improve to 5-1 on its 10-game trip following another come-from-behind victory. After rallying in all three games in a sweep at Kansas City, the Rays won for the eighth time in 11 games Tuesday.

"It's stressful, man," said shortstop Jason Bartlett, who singled off Jenks then scored the game-tying run on a bases-loaded walk by Pat Burrell.

Tampa Bay saved right-hander James Shields (6-6, 3.75 ERA) from a loss Friday when it scored four answered runs in the seventh and eighth innings to defeat the Royals 8-7.

"When you give up six runs in three innings, all you can do is keep them in the game," Shields told the Rays' official Web site after giving up a season-high seven runs and 11 hits. "And tonight was the story of last year. These guys did a great job of coming back, and I'm proud of them."

Shields, 0-1 with a 4.96 ERA in his last five starts, allowed five runs and seven hits over 7 1-3 innings in a 6-5 win over the White Sox on April 17.

Rays first baseman Carlos Pena did not start after going 0 for 3 in Monday's 4-3 series-opening loss, but his sacrifice fly off Jenks on Tuesday pushed home the go-ahead run.

Pena, who has an AL-best 24 homers, is batting .164 with one homer and five RBIs in his last 18 games.

Pierzynski and White Sox rookie third baseman Gordon Beckham had three hits apiece Tuesday. Pierzynski is 10 for 20 against the Rays in 2009, and Beckham is hitting .560 (14 for 25) in his last seven games to raise his batting average to .304.