Talk about getting thrown into the fire.
Chicago White Sox starter Gavin Floyd will come off the disabled list in time to start Wednesday's third installment of a pivotal four-game series versus the Detroit Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field.
Sidelined since Aug. 27 because of a right elbow strain, Floyd pitched the day before in a 4-3 win over Seattle. He did not record a decision and lasted only two innings, allowing one run and three hits with a walk and a strikeout.
"Obviously, I wanted to go back out (for the third), but it's one of those things that it can get worse," Floyd said afterward. "It kind of started bothering me a little bit in the first inning, late in the first. And then the second inning, it really started to kind of affect me. I felt it every time I threw a breaking pitch or even a fastball a little bit."
Floyd threw three bullpen sessions and is taking over for scheduled starter Francisco Liriano. Liriano has struggled a bit in his time with the White Sox and will be available out of the bullpen. Floyd is 1-1 with a 4.91 earned run average in his last six starts and 1-0 in two outings against Detroit this season. He has faced the Tigers 19 times in his career and is a solid 7-2 with a 3.42 ERA.
The Tigers evened this set with Tuesday's 5-3 win and rebounded from a 6-1 setback in the series opener. Austin Jackson and Miguel Cabrera both homered and Doug Fister limited the Pale Hose to two runs in seven innings. Joaquin Benoit allowed a run in the eighth, before Jose Valverde picked up his 29th save with a scoreless ninth inning.
"Tonight was a good night," Fister said. "Defense played tremendous back there and that was the name of the game. They stuck with me, stuck behind me, and played well."
Detroit ended a four-game losing streak and won for just the second time in its last eight tries. It is now two games behind the White Sox for the top spot in the American League Central division and 11-5 in the season series.
Max Scherzer draws the start for the Tigers Wednesday and is 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA in his last seven games. The Tigers are 6-1 in that time, but dropped a 3-2 decision at Angel Stadium last Friday. Scherzer did not figure into the decision of that one and fanned nine batters over eight innings, allowing two runs and walking none.
Scherzer, who has struck out nine batters in three straight outings, is 15-6 with a 3.85 ERA in 28 starts this season. He has faced the White Sox four times this season, going 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA, and is 4-4 with a 2.58 ERA in 12 lifetime appearances -- all starts -- against them.
DeWayne Wise and Gordon Beckham each belted a home run for Chicago in last night's loss and starter Jake Peavy fell to 10-11 on the season. Peavy was reached for all three runs in the fifth inning and struck out nine. He lasted 5 2/3 innings on the night.
"I think that one inning he just left a couple in there," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Peavy in the fifth. "For me, that was the mistakes."
The White Sox have alternated wins and losses in their last nine tries and haven't won consecutive games since a six-game winning streak from Aug. 20-26.
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