With a long homestand, can Sox move up in June?

Posted May 31, 2010 11:00 pm

Scot Gregor

The White Sox did about as well as expected on their road trip to Cleveland and Tampa Bay, which wrapped up on Sunday.

The Sox won two of three against the last-place Indians at Progressive Field, taking the rubber game on Wednesday after starting pitcher Mark Buehrle was ejected by egomaniacal umpire "Country" Joe West for balking with one out in the third inning.

Moving on to Tropicana Field against a Rays team that sports the best record in baseball, the White Sox salvaged a satisfying split in the four-game set thanks to Jayson Nix's clutch grand slam in Sunday's 8-5 win.

Catching a breather on Memorial Day, the Sox head into June with an opportunity to finally put a sustained stretch of good baseball together.

Starting with Tuesday night's game against the Rangers - who have lost six of seven - the White Sox play their next 12 games in Chicago, capped by a three-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field (June 11-13).

An inviting six-game interleague trip to Pittsburgh and Washington follows, and the Sox are back home for six more games. After spinning their wheels over the first two months of the season, maybe this is the time the White Sox start making a move in the AL Central.

"Obviously we started out bad but we are starting to play better and put it together," Nix told reporters after Sunday's win at Tampa Bay. "We are on a good track and primed to start making up some ground."

Before heading out off to Pittsburgh on June, the Sox play four winnable series in Chicago. Let's take a closer look:

Texas (Tuesday-Thursday)

The Rangers usually wait until after the all-star break to fade, but they appear to be getting an early start this year.

Texas is coming off three straight losses to the Twins at Target Field but remains in contention thanks to the soft AL West. The Rangers are 8-15 on the road and lost two key players to injuries over the weekend - power-hitting right fielder Nelson Cruz (hamstring) and starter Derek Holland (shoulder).

Cleveland (Friday-Sunday)

They've been a pain for the White Sox over the first third of the season, winning six of nine.

But the Sox should be more confident when the Indians return over the weekend after winning the series in Cleveland last week.

Detroit (June 8-10)

The White Sox have only played the Tigers once this season, and it was a 6-2 win at Comerica Park on May 18.

Detroit has a solid grip on second place in the AL Central, but the Tigers' offense has been spotty and they are 32-58 at the Cell since 2000.

Cubs (June 11-13)

Like the Sox, the Cubs are trying to overcome a disappointing start to the season.

With the BP Crosstown Cup (insert punch line here) now riding on the series, the White Sox should have some extra motivation.

White Sox scouting report White Sox vs. Texas Rangers at U.S. Cellular Field TV: Comcast SportsNet today; Comcast SportsNet Plus Wednesday; Channel 26 Thursday Radio: WSCR 670-AM Pitching matchups: The Sox' Mark Buehrle (3-5) vs. Rich Harden (2-1) today; Gavin Floyd (2-5) vs. Scott Feldman (2-5) Wednesday; Freddy Garcia (4-3) vs. Colby Lewis (4-3) Thursday. All games start at 7:10 p.m. At a glance: The White Sox lost two of three at Texas in late April. Buehrle is a lifetime 11-4 (3.07 ERA) vs. the Rangers, including a no-hitter in 2007. The left-hander should be fresh after pitching 21/3 scoreless innings at Cleveland Wednesday before being ejected. Sox third baseman Mark Teahen left Sunday's game against the Rays in the third inning with an injured right middle finger. Teahen hit the ball well on the road trip, going 8-for-20 with a home run and 6 RBI. Second baseman Gordon Beckham continues to struggle, he batted .167 with no extra-base hits in May. Closer Bobby Jenks is having problems with his calf again and doesn't figure to get the ball in the ninth inning anytime soon. Next: Cleveland Indians, Friday-Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field