Rays vs. White Sox lineups: Viciedo back in for Chicago

The Chicago White Sox head into Thursday's matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays a game and a half back of the Detroit Tigers, who won earlier on Thursday. The Sox will get a bit of a power boost in the form of Dayan Viciedo, who returns to the lineup after sitting out of Wednesday's game.

Here are the full lineups:

Rays

1. Desmond Jennings LF
2. B.J. Upton CF
3. Ben Zobrist SS
4. Evan Longoria B
5. Carlos Pena 1B
6. Jeff Keppinger 2B
7. Luke Scott DH
8. Matt Joyce RF
9. Jose Lobaton C

White Sox

1. Alejandro De Aza CF
2. Kevin Youkilis 3B
3. Adam Dunn DH
4. Paul Konerko 1B
5. Alex Rios RF
6. A.J. Pierzynski C
7. Dayan Viciedo LF
8. Alexei Ramirez SS
9. Gordon Beckham 2B

The Sox will send Jake Peavy (11-12, 3.40 ERA) to the hill to kickstart this massive series, while the Rays will counter with James Shields (15-9, 3.65 ERA). First pitch is slated for 7:10 p.m. CT.

White Sox reaction: Lack of pitching control dooms Chicago

The Chicago White Sox lost control of the AL Central when they lost to the Cleveland Indians 6-4 on Tuesday night. The biggest reason for the White Sox loss, according to Jim Margalus of South Side Sox, were the 12 walks from the Chicago pitching staff. The control problems started early and continued through the night:

The strategy of starting Hector Santiago against a lefty-vulnerable Cleveland lineup backfired to the tune of five walks over 3⅓ innings, and the rest of the pitching staff followed suit. Seven White Sox pitchers combined to walk 12 batters.

The White Sox also struggled when it mattered at the plate, but still Chicago had a chance to make something happen in the bottom of the ninth. They couldn't capitalize and according to Margalus:

They saved the worst for last. The Indians twice opened the door for the Sox, and they couldn't do anything with it.

The White Sox now stand one game behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central; Chicago hosts Tampa Bay at 7:10 p.m. CT on Thursday.

Indians Vs. White Sox final score: Cleveland takes 6-4 win in rubber match with Chicago

The Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-4 in the final game of their three-game series Wednesday night. Cleveland got on the board first via a Russ Canzler first-inning RBI single. Chicago struck back in the bottom of the first, when Cleveland starter Justin Mastrerson walked Paul Konerko with the bases loaded. An Alex Rios sacrifice fly and A.J. Pierzynski double each scored another run, giving the Sox a 3-1 lead after the first.

The score remained 3-1 until the top of the fourth, when a Jason Kipnis single brought home Lonnie Chisenhall and Eziquiel Carrera to tie the game at three. An Alexi Ramirez double to center in the bottom of the fifth brought home Pierzynski to again give Chicago the lead, but the White Sox bullpen could not hold up. Chicago reliever Nate Jones walked home a run in the sixth to tie the game at four, and a Shin Shoo Choo grounder brought home another run in the seventh to give Cleveland the lead. A home run by Vinny Rottino in the eighth gave the Tribe an insurance run that was eventually unnecessary.

Cleveland reliever Tony Sipp was given the win, his first of the year. White Sox reliever Matt Thornton took the loss, dropping him to 4-9 on the season.

White Sox vs. Indians lineups: Chicago faces off against Justin Masterson

The Chicago White Sox look to rebound from Tuesday night's loss against the Cleveland Indians, as the stretch run for the AL Central crown continues.

Robin Ventura's White Sox have dropped six of their last seven contests, and now find themselves tied for first with the Detroit Tigers, with just eight games left to play in the regular season.

Both Robin Ventura and Indians manager Manny Acta have announced Wednesday night's starting lineups, and they are as follows:

Cleveland Indians

RF Shin-Soo Choo
2B Jason Kipnis
SS Asdrubal Cabrera
1B Carlos Santana
LF Russ Canzler
DH Travis Hafner
3B Lonnie Chisenhall
C Lou Marson
CF Ezequiel Carrera

SP Justin Masterson

Chicago White Sox

LF Alejandro De Aza
3B Kevin Youkilis
DH Adam Dunn
1B Paul Konerko
RF Alex Rios
C A.J. Pierzynski
SS Alexei Ramirez
CF DeWayne Wise
2B Gordon Beckham

SP Hector Santiago

Masterson has been poor in September, pitching to the tune of a 5.40 ERA in 23 and 1/3 innings of work, so Chicago's lineup should be able to put up plenty of runs against the Indians.

Adam Dunn in particular has feasted off of Masterson, hitting .421/.500/.684 with a home run in 19 at bats.

In praise of Hawk Harrelson, baseball's least objective dadgum announcer

White Sox play-by-play man Hawk Harrelson was recently named baseball's most biased announcer. SB Nation Chicago's Ricky O'Donnell thinks this is also what makes him of a civic treasure.

2012 MLB Playoff Standings: White Sox, Tigers tied for first in A.L. Central

The Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers enter Wednesday tied for first in the American League Central for the first time since July 25. It has been a slow climb for Detroit, but the Tigers have been able to make up ground in the last week as the White Sox have dropped six of their last seven games.

The A.L. Central pennant race has been one of the most hotly contested division races in baseball, especially considering that the second-place finisher has little chance of claiming either of the league's two wild cards.

Detroit and Chicago won't face each other over the course of the season's final week, with the White Sox finishing with four games against the Cleveland Indians and four games against the Tampa Bay Rays and the Tigers wrapping up with five games against the Kansas City Royals and three games vs. the Minnesota Twins.

Here are the A.L. Central standings as of Tuesday night:

• Chicago White Sox, 82-72
• Detroit Tigers, 82-72
• Kansas City Royals, 70-84
• Minnesota Twins, 64-90
• Cleveland Indians, 64-91

White Sox vs. Indians preview: Chicago looks to avoid drop to second place

The Chicago White Sox will enter Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Indians in danger of falling to second place for the first time since mid-July. Chicago's loss on Tuesday night combined with a win by the Detroit Tigers brought the two teams into a tie for first in the A.L. Central.

The White Sox will trot out Hector Santiago, who will be making his first start since Sept. 9. Santiago has appeared in 40 games for the White Sox this year, with all three of his starts -- including the one on Wednesday -- coming in September. In those two starts, Santiago has allowed only one earned run in nine innings, striking out 14 batters and walking six.

The Indians will counter with Justin Masterson, who's compiled a 4.97 ERA and 1.45 WHIP so far in 2012. He's faced the White Sox three times this year, allowing eight earned runs in 17⅓ innings, while striking out 11 batters and walking nine. Masterson, who has had a tough season, has been even rougher in the second half, posting a 5.78 ERA.

The game starts at 7:10 p.m. CT and will be broadcast locally in Chicago on WCIU.

Chris Sale, Don Cooper discuss decision to not shut Sale down

In the wake of the Washington Nationals shutting Stephen Strasburg down, the Chicago White Sox give their reasoning for not holding back starter Chris Sale.

White Sox shuffle rotation for stretch run

With eight games to play and a half game lead in the AL Central race, Chicago manager Robin Ventura and his staff are optimizing the White Sox rotation to give the team its best shot at making the playoffs. Reliever Hector Santiago will start against Cleveland on Wednesday to give the starters a break.

Since a play-in game for the division title is very possible, Santiago's start will give Chris Sale an extra day of rest. With Jake Peavy slotted in for Thursday, Gavin Floyd on Friday and Sale on Saturday, any play-in game will require Ventura to decide if he starts Floyd on four days' rest or Sale, his ace, with only three days between starts.

Southpaw Jose Quintana faced two batters in Chicago's 4-3 loss on Tuesday. Quintana, the team's fifth starter, is expected to be the long man in relief should any starters be forced to leave early in this last week of the season.

Indians vs. White Sox final score: Chicago falls, 4-3, Tuesday afternoon

The Chicago White Sox dropped a game to the Cleveland Indians Tuesday afternoon by the score of 4-3. The loss reduces Chicago's lead over Detroit in the AL Central race to a half-game, before Detroit plays Kansas City Tuesday night.

White Sox starter Francisco Liriano took the loss after he couldn't complete four innings. Liriano (6-12, 5.34) gave up a Russ Canzler solo shot in the second, then was pulled after surrendering two hits and two walks in a three-run Cleveland fourth.

Chicago got its first runs off Indians starter Corey Kluber (2-4, 5.02) with back-to-back home runs from A.J. Pierzynski and Dayan Viciedo to lead off the fifth. Paul Konerko hit another solo home run off closer Chris Perez in the ninth to make it 4-3, then Dan Johnson and Alexei Ramirez took consecutive two-out walks. Perez forced Gordon Beckham to ground out to end the game and earn the save.

Adam Dunn after game-winning homer: 'It's a spot you want to be in as a hitter'

Adam Dunn's game-winning home run on Monday night may have been the most important one of his career. With the win, Chicago remained one game ahead of Detroit for the AL Central lead.

Said Dunn,

"It's a spot you want to be in as a hitter. People look at it as pressure or this and that, but to me, I love being in that situation. Obviously they're a lot tougher than other situations, but sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't.

"I've watched (Pestano) enough to know he's got good stuff. When you fall behind 0-2 against a guy like that you're in trouble. But I had a plan against him. I had one pitch to hit, and I fouled it off. I didn't know if I was going to get another one, but I did."

Before Monday's win, the White Sox had lost five in a row and were struggling to score runs.

On the season, Dunn now has 41 home runs and 94 RBI.

For more on the Chicago White Sox, visit South Side Sox.

White Sox Vs. Indians Final Score: Chicago Hangs On For 5-4 Win

The Chicago White Sox held on Monday for a 5-4 win against the Cleveland Indians. With the win, the White Sox preserved their one-game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central.

Chicago trailed 3-2 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, but a 3-run Adam Dunn home run gave the White Sox the lead. The Indians threatened in the ninth inning with a run of their own, but Donnie Veal was able to come on and get the final out to record his first save of the season.

Chris Sale started the game for Chicago and allowed three runs over seven innings although he didn't factor in the decision. Brett Myers pitched a scoreless eighth inning to pick up his third win of the season. Matt Thornton started the ninth inning but allowed two hits and a run while getting two outs.

Dunn was the offensive hero for the White Sox. He finished 2-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Dunn now has 41 home runs on the season.

The two teams will play Game 2 of the three-game series Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET.

For more on the Chicago White Sox, visit South Side Sox and be sure to visit Let's Go Tribe for all your Cleveland Indians news. Stay tuned to Baseball Nation for all your up-to-date MLB news and analysis.

White Sox Vs. Indians: Adam Dunn Joins Team's 40-HR Club With 6th Inning Bomb

Chicago White Sox slugger Adam Dunn blasted his 40th and 41st home runs of the season in Monday's crucial series opener against the Cleveland Indians. The first of the two home runs trimmed a two-run White Sox deficit in half in the sixth inning, while the second was a three-run shot in the eighth that gave Chicago a 5-3 lead.

With the bombs, Dunn has joined select company in White Sox history to crack the 40 home run barrier. MLB.com's Scott Merkin tweeted out the rest of the list after the first homer:

That 40-HR White Sox club includes Dunn, Konerko, Dye, Thomas, Thome and Belle. HR carried 436 to center

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) September 25, 2012

Dunn is enjoying a bounce back season after a dreadful 2011 campaign that saw him hit just .159 with 11 home runs and 42 runs batted in. While his batting average this season is still only hovering around .200, his re-found power stroke has been a key to Chicago's success.

The White Sox entered play Monday with a slim one-game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the American League's Central Division. With the Tigers' victory earlier in the night, that lead was trimmed to a half game.

For more on the White Sox, be sure to check out South Side Sox. For coverage from around the league, head to SB Nation's MLB Hub at Baseball Nation.

White Sox vs. Indians: Liriano looks to keep Chicago in AL Central lead

The White Sox and Indians will meet on Tuesday in the second game of their three game series, with Chicago looking to maintain their place atop the AL Central. After Monday night's victory over the Indians, the White Sox remain a game in front of the Detroit Tigers as the fight for the division crown approaches the final week.

Francisco Liriano will take the hill for Chicago, and he's been up and down since joining the Sox in July. For the season, the left-hander is 6-11 with a 5.24 ERA. He's been slightly better than that in his 53 innings of work with the White Sox, compiling a 5.09 ERA.

Cleveland will be sending Corey Kluber to the mound to face Liriano. Kluber is 1-4 for the Indians this season with a 5.36 ERA in just over 50 innings of work.

Tuesday's game is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CT from U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.

For more on the Chicago White Sox, visit South Side Sox and be sure to visit Let's Go Tribe for all your Cleveland Indians news. Stay tuned to Baseball Nation for all your up-to-date MLB news and analysis.

White Sox Vs. Indians Lineups: Alejandro De Aza Back In Center Field

Chicago White Sox center fielder Alejandro De Aza is back in the starting lineup, as the team opens a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians on Monday night. De Aza isn't dealing with any significant injury, but the team gave him a standard day off on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels.

In his place, DeWayne Wise got the start and hit leadoff, but he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout against L.A. It's been a rough stretch for Wise, who is 1-for-15 with zero walks and two strikeouts over Chicago's past five games after a hot start to September.

Here's the full White Sox lineup:

White Sox:

1. Alejandro De Aza - CF
2. Kevin Youkilis - 3B
3. Adam Dunn - DH
4. Paul Konerko - 1B
5. Alex Rios - RF
6. A.J. Pierzynski - C
7. Dayan Viciedo - LF
8. Alexei Ramirez - SS
9. Gordon Beckham - 2B

Indians:

1. Shin-Soo Choo - RF
2. Jason Kipnis - 2B
3. Asdrubal Cabrera - SS
4. Carlos Santana - DH
5. Russ Canzler - 1B
6. Vinny Rottino - LF
7. Lonnie Chisenhall - 3B
8. Lou Marson - C
9. Ezequiel Carrera - CF

For more on the Chicago White Sox, visit South Side Sox and be sure to visit Let's Go Tribe for all your Cleveland Indians news. Stay tuned to Baseball Nation for all your up-to-date MLB news and analysis.

White Sox Vs. Indians Preview: Chicago Looks To Make Final Playoff Push As They Host Indians

The Chicago White Sox look to end their current losing streak and make a final playoff push as they begin a three-set with the Cleveland Indians Monday.