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Orioles-White Sox Preview

Jul 3, 2015 - 5:42 AM Normally one of the worst offensive teams in baseball, the Chicago White Sox finally flashed their run-scoring ability in an impressive road victory.

After winning a series against one division leader, the White Sox return home Friday night to face another as they open a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Chicago (34-42) ended an eight-game road trip on a high note with consecutive wins against MLB-leading St. Louis. Melky Cabrera and Tyler Flowers each hit home runs in Wednesday's 7-1 victory as five White Sox had multi-hit games for an offense ranked last in the AL with 266 runs.

The White Sox thrived on the mound as well, limiting the Cardinals to two runs and 15 hits.

"It's nice to come in here and beat a team like this," manager Robin Ventura told MLB's official website. "Offensively we put some runs up late, and the (starting) pitchers did what they did, and the bullpen did, too. There are some guys that are starting to swing it."

Another strong offensive showing could be needed with struggling John Danks (3-8, 5.38 ERA) starting Friday. The left-hander is 0-4 with a 6.85 ERA in last four starts and suffered the worst of those outings June 22, allowing nine runs - five earned - and three homers in 5 1-3 innings of a 13-2 loss at Minnesota.

Opposing batters are hitting .300 off Danks, the highest mark of his career.

"I've been one of the main components into why this season has gone this way," said Danks, who had his scheduled start Saturday skipped due to a rainout. "I've had a couple of good games, but I've had some games blow up in my face, where I didn't give us much of a chance to win, and had to kill the bullpen, at that.

"All I know to do is to keep working and get ready for Baltimore and go from there. Certainly I need to turn this around."

Danks is 1-3 with a 5.12 ERA in his last four starts against the Orioles, but he's managed to dominate four-time All-Star Adam Jones, who is 1 for 30 (.033) in their matchups. That's his worst average against any pitcher with at least 15 at-bats.

"You can't go into the game thinking he's out just because of past performance," Danks said. "You've got to get him out still."

The Orioles (42-37) enter this series after losing three of four at home to Texas, capped by Thursday's 2-0 loss which dropped them into a tie atop the AL East with the New York Yankees. Baltimore had won 18 of 23 before facing the Rangers.

''We just obviously didn't put much together offensively," manager Buck Showalter said.

Jones, who missed time recently with a shoulder injury, is 5 for 28 (.179) over his last eight games, while Matt Wieters is batting .143 (4 for 28) in his past eight.

Ubaldo Jimenez (7-3, 3.09) gets the ball in the opener looking to win his fifth consecutive start. The right-hander had his best outing of that stretch Sunday, allowing four hits in eight innings while striking out seven in a 4-0 victory over Cleveland.

He has led his team to a win in each of his last five starts against the White Sox, most recently yielding two unearned runs in seven innings of an 8-2 victory on April 29.

Adam LaRoche has had success against Jimenez, going 7 for 22 with a homer and three doubles.