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The
Chicago White Sox
revived their offense in their most recent game against the
Oakland Athletics
, but success at the plate might not come easy against one of the league's most dominant starters.
The
White Sox
hope their bats stay hot against the Athletics' unbeaten
Rich Harden
, who looks to win his sixth consecutive decision on Sunday as the teams wrap up a four-game set at U.S. Cellular Field.
Chicago (50-37) was held to one homer and three runs in losing the first two games of this series with Oakland (47-40), but
came away with a 6-1 victory on Saturday, getting homers from
Brian Anderson
,
Alexei Ramirez
and
Nick Swisher
.
The
White Sox
, who maintained their one-game advantage on Minnesota in the AL Central, lead the AL with 120 homers.
"We have a lot of home run hitters on our team, so that's just the way it's going to be," Anderson said.
The
White Sox
have hit .301 with 28 homers and have averaged 7.1 runs in winning 10 of their last 12 contests at U.S. Cellular Field, but
scoring against Harden (5-0, 2.25 ERA) could be difficult.
The right-hander has yielded two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his 12 starts, and has held opposing batters to a .201 average.
He wasn't at his best, though, in giving up two runs and five hits in five innings, but not receiving a decision in a 5-3
road loss to the
Los Angeles Angels
on Tuesday.
"There are just certain days when you feel kind of tired and your arm feels kind of dead," Harden told the A's official Web
site. "You just feel different on every pitch."
Harden, though, has won five consecutive decisions - his longest such streak since he won a career-high six from July 15-Aug.
31, 2004, a stretch that began and ended with victories over Chicago.
Harden, who is also trying to become the first Oakland starter to begin a season 6-0 since
Dave Stewart
in 1990, is 3-2 with a 2.92 ERA in six career starts versus the
White Sox
.
The A's, meanwhile, lost for the fifth time in eight games on Saturday, but were dealt a blow after shortstop
Bobby Crosby
was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Third baseman
Eric Chavez
went on the DL Wednesday and reliever
Keith Foulke
was added Friday, both with sore right shoulders.
Right fielder
Ryan Sweeney
, acquired in the offseason deal that sent Swisher to the
White Sox
, homered and has gone 4-for-12 against his former team, though he has never faced
John Danks
(5-4, 2.50).
The left-hander has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven outings, going 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA in that
span. He fanned eight in eight innings - both matching career highs - in a 3-2, 10-inning win over Cleveland on Tuesday, allowing
a run and four hits.
In winning his two career appearances versus the A's, Danks has limited them to an earned run and 12 hits over 13 2-3 innings.
He scattered five hits in 7 2-3 scoreless innings of a 4-1 home victory on April 15.
Jermaine Dye
, who has hit .400 (28-for-70) with nine homers and 25 RBIs over his last 19 games, went 1-for-3 on Saturday to extend his
hitting streak against Oakland to 12 games. In that stretch, he has gone 17-for-45 (.378) with two homers and five RBIs.
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