Listen Live: Chicago White Sox at Baltimore Orioles [Live Audio] MLB
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland
The Chicago White Sox, whose pitching staff continues to mow down opponents, engage in a battle of unlikely division leaders when they visit the Baltimore Orioles for the opener of a four-game series on Thursday. The White Sox are winners of six straight and began their road trip by holding powerful Toronto to six runs in a three-game sweep.
Chicago finished off the Blue Jays with a 4-0 shutout on Wednesday to maintain their American League lead of 53 runs allowed in 22 games. The series in Toronto also saw the White Sox get a boost from their offense, which pounded out 21 runs in the set as newcomer Todd Frazier began to settle into the middle of the lineup with five hits and four RBIs in the series. The Orioles are one-half game ahead of Boston in the AL East but have dropped eight of 13 since a 7-0 start. Baltimore ended a three-game slide with a 3-1 win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday but managed only three hits in the contest and has totaled five runs in its last four games.
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH John Danks (0-3, 6.23 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Tyler Wilson (1-0, 2.77)
Danks is one of the few struggling pitchers on Chicago's staff but is coming off his first quality start. The 31-year-old, who allowed a total of 10 earned runs over 11 1/3 innings in his first two outings, held the Los Angeles Angels to two runs on five hits and five walks in six frames on April 21 but still took the loss. Danks is 6-5 with a 3.90 ERA in 13 career starts against Baltimore, including a home win last season in which he tossed seven scoreless innings.
Wilson traded spots with Vance Worley, moving from long relief to the rotation, and was solid in his first start of the season at Kansas City on Saturday. The 26-year-old Virginia native allowed three runs and six hits in five innings but did not issue a walk and got enough support from the offense to come away with the win. Wilson made his first career start against Chicago on May 28, 2015 and absorbed a loss despite yielding two runs in six frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles 1B Chris Davis is 1-for-16 in his last four games.
2. Chicago C Dioner Navarro has recorded four RBIs and scored three runs in his last two contests.
3. Baltimore 3B Manny Machado is 0-for-15 over the last four games after hitting safely in each of his first 16.
PREDICTION: White Sox 3, Orioles 1