• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

White Sox-Angels Preview

May 27, 2009 - 7:04 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Chicago (21-24) at Los Angeles (23-22), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Jered Weaver held the Chicago White Sox scoreless in two starts against them last season. The Los Angeles Angels could use another performance like that in his next outing.

Weaver and the Angels will try to avoid being swept in a three-game home series for the first time in nearly two years when they face the White Sox on Wednesday night.

Weaver (3-2, 2.52 ERA) is winless in his last three starts, but a matchup with Chicago (21-24) could be coming at the perfect time. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 0.34 ERA in four starts against the White Sox - all wins for the Angels (23-22). He pitched 15 scoreless innings against Chicago in 2008, allowing four hits in two Los Angeles victories.

Weaver has given up five runs over 20 innings in his last three starts, but the Angels have lost two of those games. He allowed one run and eight hits over five innings of a 3-1 loss to the Dodgers on Friday.

The Angels hope to avoid their second three-game skid this month after following Monday's 17-3 loss with a 4-2 defeat on Tuesday.

Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter each homered, with the latter coming in the ninth inning to cut Chicago's lead to two. But after Juan Rivera's single put the tying run at the plate, Mike Napoli popped out to end the game.

The Angels haven't been swept in a three-game home series since Kansas City did it June 24-27, 2007.

Los Angeles' bullpen took a big hit Tuesday when Scot Shields was placed on the 15-day disabled list with patella tendinitis in his left knee. Shields, whose 42 wins as a reliever are the most in franchise history, has given up runs in eight of his 20 appearances, and has three losses and three blown saves.

"I think he was trying to battle through it, but he knew that something wasn't right," said Joe Saunders, Tuesday's losing pitcher. "As a competitor, you try to fight through some stuff. ... Hopefully in this case, it's not too bad and he can come back in a couple of weeks or a month."

The White Sox, meanwhile, have won six of eight thanks to some vastly improved pitching. Excluding a 20-1 loss to Minnesota last Thursday, the starters are 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA during that stretch after going 0-5 with a 7.88 ERA in the previous eight games.

Bartolo Colon became the latest pitcher to turn in a solid performance Tuesday, snapping a personal three-game losing streak after allowing one run and four hits in 6 2-3 innings. Jayson Nix - appearing in his 15th game this season - homered twice, giving him four home runs over his two-year career.

"We pitched well, we played great defense and when you put those things together you're always going to give your team a chance to win," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said.

Gavin Floyd (3-4, 6.54) takes the mound after snapping a five-game winless streak with his best start of the season. Floyd was 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA over his previous three starts before giving up two hits in eight innings of a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh on Friday.

Floyd has made two career starts against the Angels, going 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA.

White Sox left fielder Carlos Quentin was expected to be sent back to Chicago on Wednesday for tests after aggravating a left foot injury Monday. Quentin is hitting .193 with one homer and seven RBI in his last 26 games.