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Athletics-White Sox Preview

Sep 9, 2009 - 5:51 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Oakland (61-76) at Chicago (69-70), 8:11 p.m. EDT

The Chicago White Sox are trying to hold on to their fading hopes in the AL Central race. A two-game home sweep at the hands of the woeful Oakland Athletics won't help their cause.

The White Sox will try to avoid another loss to one of the AL's worst as veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia heads to the mound Wednesday night.

Chicago (69-71) could use a better effort than its 11-3 defeat Tuesday night. The A's (62-76) scored seven runs in the first two innings and finished with 20 hits for their third straight victory.

Jack Cust and Mark Ellis each homered in a five-run first as Oakland won its fourth straight this season in Chicago. Every member of the starting lineup recorded a hit and eight players had at least two.

"The last couple of weeks, we've had a few games where we got behind early," A's manager Bob Geren said. "It's the first time we've been on the other end of that in a while."

Geren's club hasn't won four straight since a season-high seven-game win streak from June 2-8, and it'll try to add to the White Sox's struggles against the AL's three last-place teams.

The White Sox are 15-17 versus Oakland, Baltimore and Kansas City.

"That's White Sox 2009," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "If you want to compete in any season, you beat the crap out of teams with a losing record and you fight against the other ones. We do totally opposite of what we should do."

Chicago is third in the Central and trails division leader Detroit by 7 1/2 games. The White Sox have six of their final nine games against the Tigers, but those matchups could become irrelevant if they endure a prolonged skid.

As they try for their sixth win in eight games, the White Sox are hoping Garcia (1-2, 4.76 ERA) can repeat his most recent performance.

Garcia earned his first win in his second stint with the team Friday night by allowing one run over six innings to visiting Boston. It was also his first victory since last Sept. 17, when he beat Texas while pitching for Detroit.

In his fifth start since being called up from Triple-A Charlotte on Aug. 18, Garcia will face the A's for the first time since July 10, 2005 - Chicago's world championship season. He is 6-6 with a 5.08 ERA in 19 career starts against Oakland.

In their attempt to win five straight at U.S. Cellular Field, the A's will counter with rookie right-hander Trevor Cahill (8-12, 4.66), who is trying to win a career-high third straight start.

Cahill has a 2.25 ERA over his past two outings and a 3.09 ERA in two meetings with Chicago this season but didn't get a decision in either outing.

The A's have not won five consecutive road games over the White Sox since Aug. 14, 1997-May 18, 1998. They haven't won five straight in one season since finishing 9-0 in Chicago in 1970.

After missing three-plus games with a strained right oblique, rookie third baseman Gordon Beckham is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday.