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Tigers-White Sox Preview

Sep 19, 2010 - 12:49 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Detroit (73-74) at Chicago (79-68), 8:05 p.m. EDT

As the Chicago White Sox move closer towards elimination, the possibility is growing that the third-place Detroit Tigers can pass them in the standings.

The Tigers look to complete their first three-game sweep at U.S. Cellular Field in nine years Sunday night and hand the White Sox a sixth straight overall loss.

Chicago (79-69) dropped 10 games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central after a 6-3 loss Saturday. The White Sox are only five games ahead of the Tigers, who are also a major reason why Chicago has fallen out of the race.

Detroit (74-74) has won five straight against Chicago and seven of the last eight meetings. The White Sox are 30-38 against division opponents - the worst divisional record in the majors for any team above .500 overall - including 8-9 against the Tigers.

Chicago's bullpen has a 7.11 ERA in its last eight meetings with Detroit, and has allowed eight runs over 6 2-3 innings in the first two games of this series. That was the problem again Saturday as Tigers pinch-hitter Scott Sizemore hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning off reliever Chris Sale.

"Coming off the bench isn't always the easiest thing," Sizemore said. "You just have to be ready for the fastball and all I was trying to do was put the barrel on it."

What's surprising about the Tigers' success against the White Sox is that slugger Miguel Cabrera is hitting .176 in the season series, with just three of his major league-leading 118 RBIs.

Instead it's been youngsters like Ryan Raburn and Don Kelly who have done most of the damage. Raburn is 17 for 51 with 11 RBIs against Chicago, and Kelly is 13 for 31 with seven RBIs.

Raburn drove in two runs in Saturday's win as the Tigers did all their scoring with two outs.

Detroit has not swept a three-game set at U.S. Cellular Field since April 6-8, 2001.

Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman (8-9, 5.04 ERA) is 2-6 with a 5.90 ERA in nine career starts at U.S. Cellular, including a 9.00 ERA in three straight defeats. He's 2-1 with a 3.48 ERA in three overall starts against Chicago this year, although Omar Vizquel is 5 for 8 against him in those outings.

The right-hander gave up four runs over five innings and did not get a decision in an 11-4 loss at Texas on Tuesday.

Chicago's John Danks (13-11, 3.60) will make his third attempt at a career-high 14th victory. He allowed four runs over seven innings Tuesday in a 9-3 loss to Minnesota, dropping his second straight start.

The left-hander is 1-1 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts versus the Tigers this year, and 2-2 with a 2.27 ERA in six career home outings against them.

Cabrera is 4 for 16 against Danks while Raburn is 3 for 16.

Paul Konerko was back in Chicago's lineup Saturday after missing Friday's 9-2 loss due to being hit in the face by a pitch Thursday. Konerko went 0 for 4, but is hitting .360 against Detroit in 2010.