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Rangers-White Sox Preview

Jun 3, 2010 - 4:53 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Texas (27-24) at Chicago (22-29), 8:10 p.m. EDT

The Texas Rangers are in position to record their first three-game road sweep of the Chicago White Sox in 24 years. They might have to get it done without one of their star players once again.

Vladimir Guerrero could miss a second straight game with an eye injury as the AL West-leading Rangers look to complete a sweep of the White Sox on Thursday night.

Leading Texas with a .335 average, 12 homers and 44 RBIs, Guerrero missed a 9-5 win over Chicago on Wednesday after a ball he hit during batting practice ricocheted off the cage and struck him above the left eye. Though he suffered "significant swelling," the eight-time All-Star is day-to-day after X-rays showed no structural damage.

"The ball hits you in the eye and you're not expecting it, it looked pretty bad at first, but the swelling seems to be going down a little bit," manager Ron Washington said.

The Rangers (28-24) proved they can win without their star, scoring nine runs for the second straight game after entering this series on a four-game losing streak during which they totaled nine runs.

Texas - 4-1 against Chicago (22-30) this season - is on the verge of sweeping its first road series against the White Sox exactly to the week since they last did it June 2-4, 1986.

Matt Treanor homered and drove in a career-high four runs while Michael Young and Josh Hamilton each had three hits Wednesday for the Rangers.

Young, who doubled twice, is 24 for 55 with 11 doubles and 11 RBIs in his last 13 games. Hamilton is 12 for 23 with five RBIs against the White Sox this season.

After the Rangers were able to get the best of Chicago's Mark Buehrle and Gavin Floyd in the first two games, they'll try to do the same against scheduled starter Freddy Garcia (4-3, 5.26 ERA) on Thursday.

Garcia is 6-5 with a 4.39 ERA in 19 starts against the Rangers, including 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA in his last three. The right-hander looks to build on one of his best outings of the season after coming off his worst.

After allowing seven runs in 2 1-3 innings of a 13-0 home loss to Florida on May 23, Garcia gave up two runs and struck out seven in seven innings of a 4-2 win at Tampa Bay on Friday.

"He might have some games like he did (May 23), but don't let the numbers fool you with him," pitching coach Don Cooper said. "Every other game has been outstanding. What I mean by outstanding is he's given us a chance to win the game."

Paul Konerko homered twice and drove in four runs Wednesday for the White Sox, who look to avoid their first three-game skid since dropping four in a row April 15-18.

Four of Konerko's team-leading 16 home runs have come in five games against Texas this season.

Konerko is 2 for 10, however, against Colby Lewis (4-3, 3.41), who takes the mound looking to turn around his struggles against the White Sox.

The right-hander is 1-2 with a 10.26 ERA as a starter against Chicago. In his last start versus the White Sox, Lewis gave up 10 runs in 3 1-3 innings of a 10-4 loss while with Oakland on May 22, 2007.

Lewis, however, has allowed three runs in 12 innings while splitting his last two starts. He gave up two in six innings of a 2-1 loss at Minnesota on Friday.