White Sox fans must be glad that the calendar has finally, mercifully flipped to May. The Sox set a record for most losses by the club in the month of April this year, at eighteen. But now it's a completely different month, and hopefully the turn of the calendar will presage a turn in the fortunes of the team.
Gavin Floyd will take to the mound in the third game of a four game set against the Orioles, to try to start the month off right. Floyd has been one of the better Sox starters on the year, and is currently 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. In his career against the O's, Floyd is even better, 3-1 with a 2.55 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. Of the current Baltimore lineup, only Felix Pie and J.J. Hardy really hit Floyd well. Pie is 5-for-9 and Hardy is 4-for-8 with a double.
He'll have tough competition on the other side from one of the better rookies in the 2011 season, Zach Britton. Britton is 5-1 with a 2.84 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. In his last start, he held the Boston Red Sox to one run on five hits over six innings. He's never pitched against the White Sox.
The weather in Chicago is expected to be quite nice, partly cloudy with a high around 60 degrees. First pitch is at 1:10 P.M., CDT, and the game will be televised on CSN.