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Yankees-White Sox Preview

Aug 28, 2010 - 5:23 AM By CHRIS ALTRUDA STATS Editor

New York (78-49) at Chicago (69-58), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The New York Yankees are counting on their staff ace to keep them atop the AL East. The Chicago White Sox, meanwhile, are hoping a big bat will join them in a bid to win the AL Central.

CC Sabathia takes the mound Saturday when the Yankees attempt to bounce back from an ugly loss versus the White Sox, who are trying to work out a deal with Manny Ramirez after claiming him off waivers.

Sabathia (17-5, 3.02 ERA) is bidding for his second Cy Young Award, but taking greater importance, New York (78-50) enters this game tied with Tampa Bay for the division lead. The left-hander should be fresh for this start after a crisp 76-pitch outing Sunday in which he struck out eight in six innings of a 10-0 rout of Seattle.

"It's an ace being an ace, and being extremely consistent and having a good feeling for what he's doing every time he goes out there," manager Joe Girardi told the team's official website after Sabathia won his fourth straight start. "The consistency is unbelievable."

Sabathia is 8-1 in 14 starts at U.S. Cellular Field and 15-4 lifetime against the White Sox.

Chicago (70-58) is 3 1/2 games behind Minnesota in the Central, but made a drastic move before Friday's 9-4 win in a bid to improve its lineup. The White Sox were awarded Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez on a waiver claim, and have until 1:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday to acquire him in order for the 12-time All-Star to be eligible for the postseason.

"Ideally, if you are trying to get anything done, you want to add to your club as quickly as possible," general manager Ken Williams said prior to Friday's win. "But these things take time and you have to go through the process.

"Whatever happens in the next few days, that's the primary goal. I don't want any of these guys certainly thinking about who may or may not be walking through the door."

As the White Sox and Ramirez try to come to terms, the offense showed plenty of pop Friday. Omar Vizquel went 2 for 4 with two runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases, and A.J. Pierzynski also drove in two runs. Chicago has averaged 6.5 runs its last 11 games, but gone 5-6.

"It was a fun game," said Pierzynski, whose two-run double capped a four-run first. "It was great. Big crowd, excited crowd, to jump on them early obviously was huge and get the crowd into the game."

John Danks (12-8, 3.31) will try to give the White Sox another quality start. The left-hander is 1-0 in his last four starts and did not get a decision Sunday at Kansas City after yielding two runs in six innings of a 3-2, 10-inning loss.

Danks did not have a decision against the Yankees earlier this year, giving up two runs in five innings of a 7-6 win May 1. He is 2-1 with a 5.48 ERA in four lifetime starts versus New York.

Mark Teixeira is 5 for 8 with a double against Danks, but Curtis Granderson is 1 for 21 and Marcus Thames is 1 for 15 with seven strikeouts.