The Chicago White Sox are picking a bad time to hit the tank and look to halt a three-game skid tonight against the LA Angels of Anaheim in the middle portion of a three-game series at the Big A.
The White Sox are only 1 1/2 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the American League Central lead and dropped a 6-2 decision in Friday's series opener. Jake Peavy had an outing he would like to forget and gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings.
Alejandro De Aza went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and Gordon Beckham knocked in a run for the White Sox, who couldn't solve Angels starter Ervin Santana. Santana struck out 11 batters, allowed one walk and surrendered just one run in seven innings of work.
"We got our rear ends kicked," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "Santana was good, we couldn't get anything off him."
Chicago had won five in a row before its recent slide. President Obama, a White Sox fan, picked Chicago and Washington to meet in the World Series.
White Sox slugger Paul Konerko was back in the lineup after missing one game with a back issue and went 0-for-4.
Toeing the rubber for the Pale Hose tonight will be Jose Quintana, who owns just one win in his previous six trips to the mound. He did not record a decision in Monday's 5-4 win over Detroit and gave up four runs in four innings of work.
The rookie Quintana is 6-4 with a 3.69 earned run average in 22 games (20 starts) and is 3-1 in 11 games (10 starts) on the road. The left-hander will face the Angels for the first time.
Meanwhile, the Angels still have hopes of making a playoff run and are 3 1/2 games off the final wild card berth in the American League.
The Angels ended a two-game slide with last night's win and prevailed for the fifth time in eight tries thanks to a big night from Santana.
"Great game from Ervin. He pitched a terrific game," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He was able to throw his breaking ball and fastball effectively and kept them off balance."
Mike Trout and Kendrys Morales both homered, while Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter each drove in a pair of runs for the Angels.
Anaheim is 2-2 so far on a nine-game homestand and also will entertain the Seattle Mariners in L.A.
Dan Haren draws the start for the Halos tonight and has won three of his past four starts, including a 4-3 victory at Kansas City on Sunday in which he yielded three runs -- two earned -- and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Haren was able to even his record at 11-11 in his 27th start and has a 4.41 earned run average in that time. The right-handed Haren did not factor in the outcome of a 4-2 road loss against the White Sox on Aug. 5, when he tossed six innings of one-run ball. Haren is 1-1 with a 3.64 ERA in five career starts versus Chicago and just 4-8 in 14 road assignments this season.
Chicago and Anaheim have split six meetings in 2012.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.