• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

White Sox-Rangers Preview

Jul 4, 2010 - 4:28 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Chicago (41-37) at Texas (47-32), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The Texas Rangers haven't lost a series at home in more than a month. They haven't lost a series in Arlington to the Chicago White Sox in four years.

The Rangers will try to keep both streaks alive when the two clubs play the deciding contest of a three-game series Sunday night.

Texas (48-32), which has the second-best home record in the AL at 29-13, has won four straight series in Arlington. The Rangers took 10 of 13 games in those series, outscoring the opposition 99-47 while hitting .335.

They opened this 10-game homestand by blowing a 3-1 lead against the White Sox on Friday en route to a 5-3 loss. On Saturday, they held off Chicago's attempts at another come-from-behind win, bouncing back with a 3-1 victory.

In the eighth inning, the White Sox (41-38) had runners on second and third with no outs, but only scored once. Then in the ninth, Brent Lillibridge reached third, but Carlos Quentin and Gordon Beckham struck out to end the game.

Tommy Hunter gave up nine hits in seven innings for his fifth win in as many decisions, helping Texas move 4 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Angels in the AL West.

"(The Rangers) are pitching pretty good," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "That's the reason they're in first place."

Texas will look to win its fifth straight series at home over Guillen's club. Since losing three of four in Arlington in 2006, the Rangers have gone 10-4 at home against Chicago.

To do that, they'll have to win their third in a row against Mark Buehrle (6-7, 4.58 ERA).

Buehrle had his three-game overall winning streak snapped Monday against Kansas City after he gave up three runs, 10 hits and a season-high five walks in 6 1-3 innings of a 3-1 loss.

"I was missing with some pitches and I was missing a lot," Buehrle said. "When you're not making your pitches and the balls are finding holes, that's what happens."

It was his first loss since giving up six runs and a season-high 12 hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 9-6 defeat to Texas on June 1. Buehrle is 0-2 with a 7.30 ERA versus the Rangers this season after he'd won his previous three starts against them.

To provide the left-hander with more support than it did Monday, Chicago will have to improve its clutch hitting after going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position Saturday. The White Sox have dropped four of six and are two games behind Detroit and Minnesota for the AL Central lead.

The Rangers will counter with Scott Feldman (5-7, 5.48), who struggled for a second straight start Tuesday, giving up five runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-5 loss to the Angels.

The right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against the White Sox this season. He surrendered five runs and two homers in eight innings of a 9-5 win June 2 in Chicago.