• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Scherzer takes ball in meeting with White Sox

Aug 3, 2013 - 1:11 PM (Sports Network) - Staff ace Max Scherzer will try to pitch Detroit to another win when the Tigers square off with the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.

In game one of this three-game series, the Tigers were able to collect a 2-1 victory behind a strong outing from Doug Fister. The right-hander went eight innings, allowing just a single run to earn his 10th win of the season. Joaquin Benoit pitched a scoreless ninth inning to seal the game.

Prince Fielder was 2-for-4 in the contest while Austin Jackson homered and Jose Iglesias drove in a run in his debut with the Tigers. Iglesias was sent to Detroit as part of the three-team trade between the Red Sox and White Sox earlier this week.

The Tigers have been red hot recently with wins in six straight games and 10 of their last 11. They are three games ahead of Cleveland for the AL Central lead.

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera was scratched from Friday's starting lineup after taking ground balls during batting practice. Cabrera has been bothered by an abdominal injury.

Getting tagged with the loss for Chicago was Hector Santiago, who pitched well but not enough to win. Santiago allowed two runs over seven innings as he fell to 3-7 on the season.

Alex Rios went 2-for-3 and drove in the White Sox's lone run in the loss, the eighth straight for Chicago.

Looking to build on the success he had in his last start, John Danks will take to the hill on Saturday afternoon for the White Sox.

Danks missed a bulk of the season while recovering from a shoulder injury that ended his 2012 season. He was activated off the DL on May 19 and since has started in 13 games.

Most of those games have not gone Danks' way. The left-hander is just 2-8 with an ERA of 4.57 this season though he has pitched in at least six innings in 11 of his 13 starts.

That included his most recent effort when he allowed two runs, one of which was earned, over six innings against Cleveland. The White Sox still lost the game, 3-2, marking the third straight game they have dropped with Danks on the mound.

In the start before that one, Danks pitched against this same Detroit squad. Though he lasted seven innings, he was also lit up for six runs on 11 hits. Danks is now 4-8 with a 5.53 ERA during his career against the Tigers.

Scherzer, the MLB wins leader, will be opposing Danks in this AL Central battle.

Scherzer currently owns a 15-1 record -- tops in the majors. During what has been a career year for the hard throwing right-hander, Scherzer is also among the top five pitchers in baseball in strikeouts (164) and WHIP (0.92). His 3.01 ERA is also among the top 20 in MLB as well.

In Scherzer's most recent start, he pitched six scoreless innings and struck out seven batters while allowing just a single hit in a 10-0 win against the Phillies. Scherzer has now gone 2-1 since starting the All-Star Game.

Like Danks, Scherzer is also just two starts from removed from pitching in a matchup of these two teams. Scherzer pitched well in that outing, lasting eight innings while allowing just two runs. The five strikeouts he had in the contest were a season low. In his career, Scherzer is 6-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 14 starts against the White Sox.

Detroit has a 5-3 edge over Chicago in the season series.