Preview: Indians At White Sox

[May 27, 2014]  A five-week stint on the disabled list had no adverse effect on Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale, who will try to follow up an overpowering performance when he faces the visiting Cleveland Indians on Tuesday in the second contest of a three-game series. Sale returned from an elbow injury with a 10-strikeout, one-hit effort over six innings in dominating the New York Yankees on Thursday. Sale beat the Indians last month after going 0-4 against them last season.

Cleveland could be forced to put together a patchwork lineup as injuries continue to crop up, with catcher Carlos Santana and Nick Swisher the latest casualties. Swisher exited Monday's series opener with a knee injury and Santana was a late scratch with a possible concussion after taking a ball off the mask Sunday. All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis will be activated off the disabled list Tuesday, but is not expected to return until the series finale.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), WCIU (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Justin Masterson (3-1, 5.32 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Chris Sale (4-0, 1.89)
 

Back-to-back extra-inning games forced Masterson to pitch on three days' rest last time out and he managed to get through 5 2/3 innings, permitting five runs on eight hits at Baltimore while not factoring in the decision. It was the third straight shaky start for Masterson, who has been tagged for 17 runs over his last 15 1/3 innings. He has also struggled away from home with an 0-2 record and 6.00 ERA in five starts.

Sale has set the bar impossibly high after giving up two hits and striking out 20 over 13 innings in his last two outings, although one of them resulted in a no-decision. The 25-year-old Florida native had his shortest start of the season against Cleveland on April 11, picking up the win after allowing three runs and five hits in six innings. He is 3-4 with a 4.76 ERA in 19 appearances (eight starts) against the Indians.

WALK-OFFS

1. Left-handed hitters are 0-for-23 with 10 strikeouts against Sale this season.

2. Masterson is 9-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 26 appearances (21 starts) against Chicago.

3. Indians RF Ryan Raburn is 7-for-19 with two homers and Carlos Santana is 9-for-21 lifetime versus Sale.

PREDICTION: White Sox 3, Indians 2

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