Preview: White Sox at Rangers

[June 02, 2015]  Sunday’s victory was a microcosm of the kind of year the Texas Rangers are having, overcoming the disappointment of a multi-week injury to Adrian Beltre with Josh Hamilton’s surprising game-winning hit in a pinch-hitting role during his second tour of duty with the club. After finishing May with a 19-11 mark, the Rangers look for their 11th victory in the last 13 tries on Tuesday when they host the opener of a three-game set with the Chicago White Sox.

Beltre (left thumb) is expected to miss at least two weeks after hurting himself while sliding in the fifth inning of Sunday’s 4-3 win over Boston, but his spot in the order was eventually filled by Hamilton, who delivered a two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to help Texas capture its first home series win this season. The game-winning hit was Hamilton’s first since 2012 while the victory moved Texas (26-25) over .500 for the first time in nearly a year. The Rangers, whose recent surge has allowed them to overcome a 7-14 mark in April, closed the gap on Houston in the American League West to five games after the White Sox did them a favor by taking two of three on the road from the division-leading Astros. Chicago, which is wrapping up the final leg of its four-city, 11-game trip, has won nine of its last 13 away from home.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, CSN+ (Chicago), FSN Southwest (Texas)
 

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Jeff Samardzija (4-2, 3.84 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Colby Lewis (4-3, 4.70)

Samardzija ran his unbeaten streak to five starts in a no-decision on Wednesday, allowing an unearned run on a sacrifice fly over seven frames during a 5-3 victory at Toronto. The 30-year-old former college football player went 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in five May outings, but is 0-1, 3.00 all-time versus the Rangers after making his only two starts against them last September as a member of the Oakland Athletics. Hamilton (2-for-6, two homers), Prince Fielder (3-for-8) and Shin-Soo Choo (3-for-13) are among the five Texas hitters with at least one home run off Samardzija.

Lewis was pounded again on Wednesday, surrendering a season-high 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits over 2 2/3 innings en route to a 12-3 setback at Cleveland. The 35-year-old California native is scuffling over his last three turns, giving up 21 runs (19 earned) over that span after allowing a total of 12 runs in his first seven outings. Lewis has been much more comfortable at home (1-0, 3.55) than on the road (3-3, 5.56) and won each of his last four starts against Chicago while posting a 0.92 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago 1B Jose Abreu (jammed finger) is expected to return for the opener after sitting out Saturday and Sunday due to intense swelling.

2. Beltre’s streak of 191 consecutive games played will come to an end on Tuesday, halting the majors’ second-longest such run behind Atlanta's Freddie Freeman (218).

3. White Sox DH Adam LaRoche needs one more homer for 250 and one more total base for 2,500 in his career.

PREDICTION: White Sox 5, Rangers 4

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