Field Level Media
16 Sep 2021, 13:25 GMT+10
The Chicago White Sox will host the Los Angeles Angels in the rubber match of a three-game set on Thursday afternoon.
Chicago (83-62) cruised to a 9-3 win over the Angels in the series opener Tuesday, but Los Angeles (71-74) answered with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday. Brandon Marsh hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth to lead the Angels to a narrow win.
White Sox manager Tony La Russa is taking a big-picture view of his club as the playoffs approach.
"When you can have a chance to score every inning, realistically, that tells you that you've got a dangerous lineup," La Russa said. "And I feel like we do."
White Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (3-2, 2.05 ERA) is set to make his seventh start of the season. He pitched well but lost his most recent outing against the Oakland Athletics, against whom he allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits in five innings.
Lopez is 0-1 with a 4.67 ERA in three career starts against the Angels. His last appearance against them was in 2019.
Angels right-hander Alex Cobb (7-3, 3.82 ERA) is scheduled to make his 16th start. This will be his first outing since July 23, when he gave up two runs (one earned) on seven hits in five innings against the Minnesota Twins.
In four career starts against the White Sox, Cobb has struggled mightily to an 0-3 record with a 10.70 ERA.
Injuries have sidetracked the Angels for much of the 2021 campaign. On Wednesday, manager Joe Maddon acknowledged that superstar outfielder Mike Trout and emerging star Jo Adell likely would remain out for the rest of the season.
Trout has been on the injured list since May 18 because of a right calf strain. Adell went on the 10-day IL on Wednesday because of an abdominal injury.
"I mean, those injuries are kind of weird, and they could take longer (to recover from)," Maddon said of Adell. "What are we at, two weeks left, pretty much? It'd be hard to imagine that (he will return). If I had to say, I would anticipate that he wouldn't, but we'll see."
Meanwhile, Maddon praised Trout for being such a supportive teammate despite his injury absence.
"I don't expect him to play today or tomorrow, or anytime soon, because there's still that process of having to get at-bats," Maddon said. "It'd be very difficult."
The White Sox will look for their lineup to do more after managing only two runs on Wednesday. Yoan Moncada went 2-for-4 with a homer, his 12th, and Jose Abreu notched his 27th double of the season.
Michael Kopech likely will be unavailable out of Chicago's bullpen for the series finale after he pitched two innings on Wednesday. He gave up only one hit, but it was the tie-breaking homer by Marsh.
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