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White Sox-Orioles Preview

Aug 6, 2010 - 4:29 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Chicago (61-46) at Baltimore (34-73), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Early next week, the Chicago White Sox start a crucial set of games that could go a long way toward determining if they win the AL Central.

First, they'll try to stay hot during a four-game road series beginning Friday night against new manager Buck Showalter and his suddenly resurgent Baltimore Orioles.

Chicago (62-46) enters this weekend's set holding a 1 1/2-game division lead over Minnesota, which it will face in its return home Tuesday night. The White Sox will then host third-place Detroit for three games, before traveling to Minnesota for three more.

Chicago made strides against one of its challengers this week by taking three of four road games from the Tigers, improving to 9-2 in its last 11 and a major league-best 38-13 since June 8.

Despite taking a 6-4 victory in 11 innings in Detroit on Thursday, the White Sox still have concerns about closer Bobby Jenks' effectiveness.

Jenks yielded three ninth-inning runs in the eventual win, blowing his second save opportunity in five tries as his ERA increased to 11.37 since July 17. Mark Kotsay bailed the White Sox out when he delivered a two-run triple in the 11th after hitting a two-run homer in the top of the ninth.

"I keep saying Bobby will be the closer," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "But we'll see over the next couple of days."

If John Danks can regain the form he showed most of last month, Guillen might not need to worry as much. Danks (11-8, 3.40 ERA) was 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in his first five starts of July, but ended the month by giving up five runs over 6 2-3 innings in Saturday's 6-2 loss to Oakland.

The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in his last three matchups with Baltimore.

However, he'll now face an Orioles team that's 3-0 under Showalter and completed a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 5-4 victory Thursday night.

Baltimore (35-73) blew a four-run lead in the eighth inning, but won on an RBI single by Cesar Izturis in the bottom of the ninth.

"(Showalter's) track record speaks for itself," Orioles reliever Jason Berken said. "Guys have a lot of respect for him. He's done a great job; he's going to do a great job. For us, it's just a matter of really just putting all facets of the game together, and we've been able to do that so far."

Baltimore starter Brad Bergesen (3-9, 6.63) will try to end his lengthy slide and help the worst team in the majors match its longest win streak of the season. The Orioles have won four straight twice in 2010, most recently a four-game sweep of Texas just before the All-Star break.

Bergesen is 0-7 with a 7.26 ERA in his last 11 starts. Another loss Friday would give him the longest active skid in the majors.

The right-hander nearly ended his drought Saturday, when he left after seven innings with the Orioles holding a 3-2 lead over Kansas City. Baltimore's bullpen, however, couldn't hold on in a 4-3 defeat.

Bergesen went 1-1 with a 2.31 ERA in two starts last season against the White Sox as a rookie.