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Tigers-White Sox Preview

Sep 17, 2010 - 5:12 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Detroit (72-74) at Chicago (79-66), 8:10 p.m. EDT

The Chicago White Sox had an opportunity to get back in the AL Central race. Getting swept essentially knocked them out of playoff contention.

The White Sox will try to rebound Friday when they open a three-game set against the visiting Detroit Tigers.

Instead of what it hoped for - a sweep of division-leading Minnesota - Chicago (79-67) was outscored 26-11, and lost all three games at U.S. Cellular Field including Thursday's 8-5 defeat.

With 16 games left, the White Sox trail by nine in the division and wild-card standings.

"I think everybody knew we had to sweep them and not get swept," pitcher Mark Buehrle said after Chicago lost for the seventh time in nine games. "Obviously they came in and kicked our butt every which way."

After the White Sox's starters posted an 8.31 ERA against the Twins, Edwin Jackson (3-1, 2.94 ERA) will try to deliver a solid outing as he makes his fourth start versus Detroit since being acquired from Arizona on July 30.

The right-hander, though, is 0-1 with a 7.30 ERA in his last two starts. Jackson yielded six runs and a season-high 13 hits in five-plus innings of Saturday's 8-2 loss to Kansas City.

"I felt good, but sometimes the days you feel good are the days you get hit and the days you feel bad you go out and do well," he said.

An All-Star with Detroit in 2008, Jackson is 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA versus the Tigers since joining the White Sox.

While Chicago looks for Jackson to give its bullpen some rest, Detroit (72-74) hopes Max Scherzer (10-10, 3.60) can do the same after starters Jeremy Bonderman and Armando Galarraga went a combined 8 2-3 innings and gave up 12 runs in consecutive losses at AL West-leading Texas.

"We pitched terrible here for two days," manager Jim Leyland told the Tigers' official web site following Wednesday's 11-7 loss.

Since allowing three runs or fewer in nine consecutive starts from July 21-Sept. 1, Scherzer is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in his last two outings. He allowed a career-high 12 hits in a 5-3 loss to Baltimore on Saturday.

"(Scherzer) was up in the zone a bit, and I don't think his secondary stuff was as good as it has been," Leyland said.

Scherzer is 0-1 with a 3.74 ERA in three starts against Chicago. In a 5-4, 10-inning loss to the White Sox on Sept. 6, the right-hander struck out six and surrendered four runs and nine hits over 7 1-3 innings. Jackson countered with an identical line for Chicago.

Paul Konerko is batting .529 (9 for 17) with four homers and seven RBIs in the last five games, and .391 with three homers and eight RBIs in 13 games versus Detroit this season. He's 2 for 6 against Scherzer.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera has fared poorly versus Chicago, batting .195 with two homers and three RBIs, and is 5 for 18 lifetime against Jackson.

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham is expected to be out for a few more games with a bruised right hand.

Chicago is 8-7 this season against Detroit, which needs a sweep to win the season series for the first time since 2004.