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White Sox-Angels Preview

May 26, 2009 - 6:11 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Chicago (20-24) at Los Angeles (23-21), 10:05 p.m. EDT

After winning the AL Cy Young Award with the Angels in 2005, Bartolo Colon struggled with injuries the next two years before leaving Los Angeles as a free agent.

He is still trying to find that form.

Colon faces his former team for the first time in nearly six years Tuesday when the White Sox continue their three-game series at Angel Stadium.

The burly right-hander won 21 games for the Angels in 2005, helping them capture the AL West. But rotator cuff and elbow injuries, along with back problems, limited him to seven victories over 28 starts and one relief appearance in 2006-07.

Colon (2-4, 4.23 ERA) signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox in 2008, but back issues limited him to seven starts. In January, after undergoing elbow surgery the previous fall, he signed a one-year contract the White Sox (20-24).

He has not faced the Angels (23-21) since his first stint for the White Sox in 2003, and is 6-5 with a 4.11 ERA against them.

Colon returns to Angel Stadium trying to overcome some recent struggles. Colon has failed to get past the fifth inning in any of his last four starts and has lost three decisions in that span. He was tagged for eight runs - only one of which was earned - and seven hits in a season-low two innings of a 20-1 rout by Minnesota on Thursday.

"I always think positive," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Colon will be real fresh for his next start."

Since that loss, the White Sox have allowed seven runs in winning three of their last four and opened this series by ripping the Angels 17-3 on Monday. Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome each hit three-run homers, with Thome passing Mike Schmidt for 13th on the all-time list with his 549th career homer.

"Anytime you can associate your name with the greats, like a Mike Schmidt, it's a true honor and very humbling because you know what they've done for the game," Thome said.

The 17 runs and 24 hits were season highs for the White Sox, who had failed to get at least 10 hits in any of their last 12 games, and the 17 runs were their most since scoring 20 against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006.

Los Angeles will try to bounce back behind Joe Saunders (6-2, 3.17), who is trying to string together consecutive solid outings. The left-hander scattered four hits over seven innings of a 3-0 win over Seattle on Thursday. Saunders had given up seven runs in his previous start after throwing a six-hit shutout against Kansas City on May 9.

Saunders is 2-1 with a 3.96 ERA against the White Sox, beating them twice last year while yielding three runs in 15 2-3 innings in two starts.

Angels designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero, back in the lineup for the first time in nearly six weeks after being sidelined with a torn right pectoral muscle, was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

Chicago has won 15 of its last 20 games at Angel Stadium, including three playoff wins in the 2005 ALCS en route to a World Series title.