Rangers 2 - 3 White Sox
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  for this game

AL West-leading Rangers resume set with ChiSox

Aug 20, 2011 - 2:54 PM

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(Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers have a stranglehold on first place in the AL West, and they continue a three-game weekend series tonight at U.S. Cellular Field against the Chicago White Sox, who are barely alive in the AL Central.

While the Rangers are six games up on the second-place Angels in the West, the White Sox are now five games behind front-running Detroit in the Central, as well as 2 1/2 games behind second-place Cleveland in the standings.

Texas will hand the ball to second-year hurler Alexi Ogando tonight and he hopes to earn his 13th victory of the season. At 12-5 with a 3.33 ERA, Ogando has been one of the more solid hurlers in the AL this season. He defeated the Angels on Monday and has 102 strikeouts in 140 1/3 innings.

Ogando shut out the White Sox earlier this season, so he figures to pitch with confidence tonight.

Slated to oppose Ogando is John Danks, who owns a 5-9 record for the White Sox despite a solid 3.95 ERA. Danks was most recently in action on Sunday when he defeated Kansas City, hurling six innings of two-run, four-hit ball. He owns a 3.13 ERA at home this season.

Danks is 0-1 in two appearances against Texas this season and just 1-4 lifetime versus the Rangers with a 4.00 ERA.

On Friday, Mitch Moreland hit two home runs to lead the Rangers past the White Sox, 7-4, in the opener of this three-game series.

Moreland finished 2-for-4 with five RBI and Josh Hamilton added a go-ahead solo shot in the sixth for the Rangers, who have won 12 of their last 15 games. Michael Young has hit safely in 25 of his past 27 games for Texas.

Yoshinori Tateyama (2-0) tossed 2 2/3 hitless innings to earn the win. He relieved starter Matt Harrison, who allowed four runs -- three earned -- on four hits over 4 1/3 frames.

Neftali Feliz worked a perfect ninth to record his 25th save of the season.

Jake Peavy (5-6) allowed seven runs on six hits over six frames to suffer the loss. He walked two and struck out five.

Carlos Quentin had an RBI double for the White Sox, losers of three straight.

While the White Sox are a solid 34-27 on the road this season, they are just 27-36 in front of the home crowd.

Texas, by contrast, is far better at home (39-23) than on the road (34-30).

The Rangers have won four of their six matchups against the White Sox this season.






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