Dylan Axelrod tries to secure his first victory of the season and a series win for the Chicago White Sox when they conclude a three- game series with the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
The right-handed Axelrod had pitched to a 2.81 earned run average over his previous four starts before getting tagged in a loss to the L.A. Angels of Anaheim on Friday. Axelrod was charged with six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits over six-plus innings, though he did strike out a season-high six with just one walk.
Still, he fell to 0-3 with a 4.17 ERA in seven starts this season.
The 27-year-old Axelrod will face the Twins for the first time as a starter after having previously faced them twice in relief.
Drawing the start for the Twins in today's rubber match will be Mike Pelfrey, who did not factor into the decision of his last outing.
The right-hander faced Baltimore on Friday and did not allow a run over his first five innings of work before yielding three in the sixth to end his outing. He was charged with nine hits and a walk in his club's 9-6 defeat.
Pelfrey, 29, stands at 3-3 on the year with a 6.03 ERA and will face the White Sox for the first time in his career.
After dropping a seven-run decision on Monday's opener, the White Sox used a solid start from Jake Peavy and timely hitting to secure a 4-2 win last night.
Peavy hurled seven innings of two-run ball, scattering five hits without a walk, while Addison Reed stranded a runner in the ninth to secure his 12th save of the season.
Adam Dunn and Dayan Viciedo hit back-to-back homers in the second inning, and Alexei Ramirez and Tyler Flowers both drove in a a run in the eighth frame for a White Sox club that had lost six of its previous nine.
"It was a good team win," Peavy said. "I think everybody contributed tonight against some adversity."
Peavy was referring to a play in the fifth inning, when the Twins' Oswaldo Arcia hit a two-out single to right. Justin Morneau raced around from second and was called safe at home despite replays showing that Flowers actually tagged the Minnesota first baseman before touching the plate.
Trevor Plouffe also drove in a run for the Twins, who dipped to 2-3 on a nine- game homestand that continues this weekend versus Boston.
Kevin Correia gave up four runs on nine hits over seven-plus frames in taking the loss.
"Correia was good," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of his starter. "He left a couple balls up in the eighth and it was double, double, and there you have it and he's out of the ballgame."
Morneau and Joe Mauer continued their impressive hitting streaks for the Twins. Morneau is batting .425 with 14 RBI over a 10-game run, while Mauer has logged a .431 average while hitting safely in 13 straight.
The White Sox took 14 of 18 from the Twins a season ago, but Minnesota won both meetings of a rain-shortened two-game set in mid-April at Chicago.
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