After a shutout loss on Tuesday, the White Sox are back in Globe Life Field trying to take the series and keep their push toward a third straight series win alive. Chicago enters Wednesday at 53-47, with Texas sitting at 51-50.
Will Venable is rolling out a lefty-heavy group against what will be a bullpen day for the Rangers. Sam Antonacci leads things off in left, followed by Munetaka Murakami at first, Miguel Vargas at third, and Colson Montgomery back in the four spot at shortstop. Montgomery was scratched Tuesday because of a shin contusion, but he’s back in the lineup for this one.
One of the more notable choices is Braden Montgomery hitting fifth. The White Sox are sticking with the rookie, and there’s at least some recent production to point to: he is slashing .269/.321/.538 over his last seven games. Chase Meidroth also gets a bump, moving up to sixth after posting a .320/.370/.400 line in his last seven games.
Edgar Quero is behind the plate Wednesday after being recalled with Kyle Teel injured. It will be his first big-league game since June 21.
And at the bottom of the order, Tristan Peters is batting ninth, which may catch White Sox fans off guard given his All-Star nod. He’s in a rough stretch, though, with a .136/.200/.182 slash line over his last seven games.
Texas is sticking close to the same lineup it used Tuesday, with a couple of changes forced by injury. Ezequiel Duran is at third base after leaving Tuesday’s game, while Nicky Lopez slides in at shortstop. Jake Burger, who opened the series with two strong games against his former team, is batting third.
On the mound side, Anthony Kay has had an uneven year, throwing 93.1 innings in 20 games. His last start lasted four innings, and he allowed two runs.
Over his last seven outings, he has a 3.94 ERA, but he still hasn’t averaged even five innings per start. If the White Sox want to keep control of this series, they’ll need more length from him.
Texas, meanwhile, is going with a bullpen day, which stands out this soon after the All-Star Break. Tyler Alexander will serve as the opener.
He spent 31 games with the White Sox last year and posted a 4.26 ERA. This season for the Rangers, he’s been much sharper, carrying a 2.79 ERA in 44 games, including a 1.93 mark over his last 15.
Chicago will have to be ready from the first inning if it wants to finish the job.
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