ALDS Game Four Preview and Schedule | White Sox – Tampa Bay Rays

Once again, the Chicago White Sox have come through in a game in which they faced the end of their season with a loss. This backs-against-the-wall brilliance is becoming a common occurrence for a team that seems to take on the personality of its manager Ozzie Guillen more and more with each passing season. Can the White Sox come through in Game Four of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays like they did in Game Three? We’ll see tomorrow. Here are the particulars:

ALDS Game 4: Chicago White Sox v Tampa Bay Rays at U.S. Cellular Field

Time: 4:07 CT

TV: TBS

Radio: ESPN Radio

Pitchers: Gavin Floyd (17-8) v Andy Sonnanstine (13-9)

This is an interesting pitching matchup. Andy Sonnanstine finished the year with a 4.38 ERA and two out of his three starts against the White Sox were pretty pedestrian. However, his other start was a complete game shutout in April in Tropicana Field. Now, we all remember way back in April when the White Sox bats were absolutely non-existent and Carlos Quentin was still a part-timer, right? My point is that I am not afraid of Andy Sonnanstine producing any similar pitching gems at U.S. Cellular Field tomorrow afternoon. Neither of his other two starts were awful, but neither was a quality start either. I think tomorrow will be a little bit more like that.

Jim Thome, Orlando Cabrera, and AJ Pierzynski have had the most success against Andy Sonnanstine in the careers. In fact, AJ Pierzynski hased owned Sonnanstine in nine at-bats, generating six base hits. I am calling it right now: AJ Pierzynski is my pick to click for tomorrow. He played well tonight, and he always seems to come up with big plays in big spots for the White Sox. I certainly would not be surprised to see Jermaine Dye or Jim Thome or Alexei Ramirez come through as well, but look for AJ to get that key RBI in the mid-innings that gives us the lead for good.

How am I so sure that he’ll be giving us the lead for good early? Two reasons:

1 – Gavin Floyd is on the hill. I don’t see him totally shutting down the Rays, but something in the 6-7 inning range with 2-3 runs given up. Floyd has not been light’s out over the past few months, but he has pitched consistently well at home, and he always gives the White Sox a chance to win in big spots. Plus, the Rays hitters have not seen Gavin Floyd this season. I always give the edge to the pitcher when there is an absence of familiarity. The White Sox hitters, on the other hand, have seen Andy Sonnanstine three times. And each time they performed a little better than the last. Have we figured Sonnanstine out? Certainly moreso than in April. And certainly more than the Rays have Gavin Floyd and his nasty stuff figured out.

2 – The White Sox bullpen has pitched very well ever since every game became life-or-death critical for our season. Today put me over the edge: I am back on board with having confidence in the middle relievers. There is no way Ozzie will trot Boone Logan or Ehren Wasserman or Horacio Ramirez out there, and thank God for that. However, Octavio Dotel and Matt Thornton are doing a great job of bridging the gap to Bobby Jenks; and Bobby has been light’s out. I think the Sox can get 4-5 of Sonnanstine in the first six innings of the game, and Floyd will be able to hold the Rays to 2-3 during that same time period. I can see our relievers letting maybe one run slip through, but no more.

Official prediction: Chicago White Sox – 6 | Tampa Bay Rays – 3

Winning Pitcher: Gavin Floyd (Save for Jenks)

Pick to Click: AJ Pierzynski

A win would move the series back to Tampa Bay for Game Five, to be played on Wednesday at 5:07 on TBS (as of right now, anyway. These times appear to be subject to change). My prediction is that Mark Buehrle will start Game Five, because it definitely will not be Javier Vazquez, and I will have the utmost confidence in our chances to steal that game on the road and move on. We have to get to Game Five first, but I think the battery of Gavin Floyd and AJ Pierzynski will lead us there tomorrow afternoon.

[tags]chicago white sox, tampa bay rays, mlb, mlb playoffs, baseball[/tags]

Tags: baseball, Chicago White Sox, MLB, mlb playoffs, tampa bay rays

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