Preview: Orioles at White Sox

[July 03, 2015]  The Chicago White Sox look to carry the momentum of sweeping baseball's best team into Friday's opener of a three-game series against the visiting Baltimore Orioles. The American League Central cellar-dwelling White Sox brushed aside St. Louis in an abbreviated two-game interleague set to improve to 6-4 in their last 10 contests.

Tyler Flowers has homered in three straight outings and is 7-for-19 (.368) with five RBIs and four runs scored during his four-game hitting streak. Flowers has enjoyed success versus Friday starter Ubaldo Jimenez, going 4-for-14 (.286) with three doubles in his career. Baltimore dropped three of four to Texas to fall into a first-place tie with the New York Yankees in the AL East. Chris Davis saw his 11-game hitting streak come to an end in a 2-0 setback to the Rangers in the series finale, but is just 2-for-14 (.143) in his career versus Friday starter John Danks.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (7-3, 3.09 ERA) vs. White Sox LH John Danks (3-8, 5.38 ERA)

Jimenez won his fourth straight start on Sunday after scattering four hits and striking out seven en route to a 4-0 victory over Cleveland. The 31-year-old Dominican did not walk a batter against his former team after issuing 11 free passes in his previous four outings. Jimenez improved to 3-3 in his career versus the White Sox after allowing two runs (none earned) in seven solid innings of an 8-2 victory on April 29.

While Jimenez is on the upswing, Danks continued his difficult season by getting shelled on June 22 to suffer his fourth straight setback. The 30-year-old was blitzed for nine runs on as many hits - including three homers - en route to a 13-2 loss to Minnesota. Danks has split 10 career decisions versus Baltimore, but picked up the loss in his last meeting after permitting four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago 1B Jose Abreu has hit safely in four straight contests and 12 of his last 14.

2. The White Sox and Orioles saw their three-game series shrink to just one contest in late April due to the riots in Baltimore.

3. The Orioles signed former two-time All-Star closer Chris Perez to a minor-league deal on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

PREDICTION: Orioles 5, White Sox 2

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