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Braves-White Sox Preview

Jun 23, 2010 - 4:50 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Editor

Atlanta (42-28) at Chicago (34-34), 8:10 p.m. EDT

An offensive outburst helped the surging Chicago White Sox move above .500 for the first time since opening day. If Mark Buehrle's success in interleague play is any indication, they might not need another such performance at the plate to maintain a winning record in their next game.

Buehrle looks to continue his mastery of the NL as the White Sox go for their eighth straight win - and 12th in 13 games - Wednesday night against the NL-best Atlanta Braves at U.S. Cellular Field.

Chicago (35-34) matched a season high with 16 hits in a 9-6 victory over Atlanta on Tuesday night. Carlos Quentin hit a three-run home run and A.J. Pierzynski added three hits with two RBIs as the White Sox claimed a winning record for the first time since beating Cleveland in their season opener.

The strong day at the plate put the White Sox in position to win eight in a row for the first time since May 14-22, 2008.

"We're lucky. That's what people want to hear," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I think people don't believe we can play very well. People forgot those guys (White Sox players) have some credentials. They have numbers in the past. We just didn't play the way we should have been playing early in the season."

Guillen has to like his team's chances of keeping its streak alive with Buehrle (5-6, 4.71 ERA) taking the mound against an NL opponent. The veteran left-hander is 10-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 15 interleague starts since the start of the 2007 season, including 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA this season.

Buehrle didn't allow a run in either of his first two starts against the NL in 2010, then gave up two over 7 1-3 innings of a 5-4 win at Pittsburgh on Thursday. With him leading the way, Chicago is a major league-best 11-2 in interleague play.

"I think it's to my advantage when I don't see teams too often," said Buehrle, the all-time leader with 22 interleague wins. "I have faced some hitters 80-100 times in my career, so it's kind of like what do you try to do to trick them? I think when you see teams and hitters only every two or three years, it's to my advantage."

Buehrle made his lone start against Atlanta in 2004, giving up three runs in eight innings of a 10-3 victory.

The Braves (42-29) had a five-game winning streak snapped with Tuesday's defeat, and while Wednesday's starter Tim Hudson (7-2, 2.34) has had a very strong season, his record in interleague play is not encouraging.

Since joining Atlanta before the 2005 season, Hudson is 2-12 with a 6.34 ERA against the AL, including 0-7 with a 7.12 ERA in eight road starts.

However, the right-hander limited Tampa Bay to one run and four hits in seven innings of a 3-1 win Thursday, his second consecutive quality start against an AL opponent.

"He pitched a great game against really a great offensive team," Braves manager Bobby Cox told the team's official website. "There was one ball that was hit hard and we got a double play on it."

Hudson is 3-2 with a 5.19 ERA in seven starts against the White Sox, but hasn't faced them since May 4, 2002, while with Oakland.

Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko, batting .426 with 10 RBIs over his last 12 games, is 6 for 16 with a home run and two doubles lifetime against Hudson.

Atlanta's Melky Cabrera is 6 for 11 with a homer and a double against Buehrle.