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White Sox turn to Peavy in finale with Rockies

Jun 30, 2011 - 2:33 PM (Sports Network) - Veteran right-hander Jake Peavy returns to the home of a former division rival today when the Chicago White Sox visit Coors Field to meet the Colorado Rockies in the third and final game of a three-game interleague series.

Peavy spent the first seven-plus seasons of his big-league career with the San Diego Padres and has faced the Rockies 17 times. He's 4-6 with a 3.81 earned run average in those matchups, allowing 107 hits and striking out 101 batters in 111 innings while holding Colorado batters to a .256 average.

The Mobile, Ala. native came to Chicago in 2009 and has been riddled with injuries since, making just 27 appearances over parts of three seasons.

He's won four of five decisions so far in 2011, including a 3-0 blanking of Washington on June 25, in which he allowed just one hit and struck out seven in the first relief appearance of his career.

The 30-year-old was pressed into the emergency role when starter John Danks had to leave in the second inning with a strained right oblique muscle and the team's bullpen was tapped out after a 14-inning game one night earlier.

In his last start, on June 22, Peavy went 5 1/3 innings in a 4-3 defeat of the Chicago Cubs. He is 1-0 in three road starts this season.

Colorado replies with veteran Aaron Cook, who'll make attempt No. 5 at a first win of the season.

The 32-year-old, a double-digit winner as recently as 2009, dropped to 0-3 in his fourth start of 2011 when the Rockies lost an 8-3 verdict to New York at Yankee Stadium on June 25.

In four starts this month, he's allowed 31 hits and 15 runs in 23 innings, while walking nine batters, striking out 11 and allowing a robust .344 opposition batting average.

Cook won his lone career start against the White Sox, in spite of allowing 10 hits and three runs in six innings.

On Wednesday, A.J. Pierzynski's sacrifice fly in the ninth brought home the game-winner as the White Sox took a 3-2 win.

Huston Street (0-2) was on the mound to start the inning, and Carlos Quentin led off with a single and moved to third on a Paul Konerko single. After Alexei Ramirez swung at a pitch in the dirt to strike out, Pierzynski hit a short fly ball to right.

Seth Smith came up with the catch on the run and made a strong throw to the plate, but it short-hopped and Chris Iannetta was unable to come up with the ball.

Sergio Santos then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to lock down his 16th save of the season.

Pierzynski drove in two runs while Quentin scored twice for the White Sox, who had dropped their previous two. Brian Bruney (1-0) got the win for getting the final two outs of the eighth while starter Mark Buehrle went seven innings and was charged with two runs on seven hits.

Carlos Gonzalez went 3-for-4 while Ty Wigginton and Jason Giambi each hit a solo home run for the Rockies, who have dropped four of their last five. Ubaldo Jimenez went seven innings and was charged with two runs on four hits.

The White Sox swept a three-game set in the last meeting at Coors Field back in 2005, but the Rockies countered by winning two of three in Chicago in '08.