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White Sox, Angels start set in Anaheim

Aug 23, 2011 - 2:46 PM (Sports Network) - A pair of ballclubs targeting the postseason get together tonight in Anaheim, where the LA Angels will host the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a brief two-game series at the Big A.

The Angels are 4 1/2 games behind Texas for the American League West lead, while the White Sox and Indians are both 5 1/2 games off Detroit's pace in the AL Central standings.

Anaheim has won four in a row and recorded a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend. In Sunday's 7-1 rout in the series finale, Jerome Williams threw seven innings of one-run ball and struck out six batters for his first win since the 2005 campaign.

"It's been a long road," said Williams, whose last win came Sept. 25,2005. "The things I've been through. I'm just speechless right now, especially with everything that's going on right now. It's incredible."

Rich Thompson preserved the win with two scoreless innings of relief, while Howie Kendrick went deep and Peter Bourjos finished 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI for Anaheim, which had dropped five straight and seven of eight games before its current hot streak. It is 4-3 on a nine-game homestand.

Ervin Santana had a sizzling streak of his own come to an end his last time out and will try to regain that momentum when he toes the rubber Tuesday. Santana was 6-0 with a 1.50 earned run average in nine starts before losing to the AL West-leading Rangers in a 4-3 decision on Wednesday. He allowed four runs, three of which were earned, and 10 hits over 7 2/3 innings to fall to 9-9 with a 3.12 ERA in 26 starts.

The right-hander hopes to gain a measure of revenge against the White Sox, who beat him for five runs and eight hits over six innings in an 8-0 loss on May 9 in Los Angeles. Santana is 4-4 with a 4.21 ERA in 12 career games (11 starts) against the Pale Hose.

Chicago did the Angels a favor by beating Texas two out of three times over the weekend and is coming off Sunday's 10-0 blasting of the Rangers. Gavin Floyd threw seven shutout innings and struck out six batters for the win, while Brent Lillibridge ended 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored for the White Sox, winners in 11 of their last 16 games.

Alex Rios also homered, Alejandro De Aza added two hits and three RBI and Tyler Flowers posted two hits and three runs scored in the win.

"It was a good series," Lillibridge said. "It was good after losing the first one to come back and win the next two. We've been playing well on the road, so hopefully we can continue that."

Chicago concluded its nine-game homestand at 5-4 and Paul Konerko is one hit shy of becoming the 13th player to collect 2,000 hits in a White Sox uniform.

The White Sox will send Mark Buehrle to the mound tonight and he's 3-1 with a 2.29 earned run average in his last five starts. He had won four straight decisions until losing to Cleveland in Wednesday's 4-1 setback in the Windy City, where he yielded four runs and 12 hits in 7 1/3 innings.

Buehrle is 10-6 with a 3.14 ERA in 24 starts this season and 5-4 in 12 road assignments. The lefty lost to the Angels back on April 17 this season, as he allowed four runs and 10 hits in seven innings. Buehrle hasn't fared well in his career against the Halos, going 2-7 with a 4.43 ERA in 19 games (18 starts).

The Angels are 4-2 against the White Sox this season.