American League Preview from The Sports Network
Tuesday, June 26th
(All times Eastern)
Chicago White Sox (38-35) at Minnesota Twins (30-42), 8:10 p.m.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - Gavin Floyd (5-7, 5.20)
Minnesota - Liam Hendriks (0-4, 7.39)
(Sports Network) - Right-hander Liam Hendriks takes an 11th career crack at a
first career victory tonight when the Minnesota Twins go for a second straight
win in the middle game of a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox at
Target Field.
The Twins got a mound gem from former phenom Francisco Liriano in Monday's
opener, winning 4-1 in third baseman Kevin Youkilis' debut with the White Sox
after a trade from Boston.
Youkilis went 1-for-4, one day after coming from the Red Sox for utilityman
Brent Lillibridge and righty Zach Stewart.
"It felt weird being with different guys," he said. "Thinking of everything
that has transpired, the mind was kind of racing a little bit."
His single came after Liriano (2-7) threw seven strong innings, allowing just
one run on four hits and two walks while fanning five.
Chicago's Jake Peavy (6-4), whose earned run average was three runs lower than
Liriano's coming in, was charged with three runs on 10 hits over six frames.
Chicago had won three of four before getting outhit, 14-5. Minnesota's top
three hitters - Denard Span, Ben Revere and Joe Mauer - combined to go 9-
for-14 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Hendriks a 23-year-old native of Australia, reached the majors with the Twins
last season and was 0-2 in four starts with a 6.17 earned run average across
23 1/3 innings.
He began 2012 with one loss in three starts in April, dropped a 9-0 decision
to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in May and returned in mid-June after
going 5-0 in seven starts at Triple-A Rochester.
His two starts this month have yielded another two losses against Milwaukee
and Pittsburgh while Minnesota has been outscored, 15-3.
In fact, in his six appearances, the Twins have given up 40 runs and scored
just 17.
Hendriks appeared once against the White Sox last season and allowed three
runs on four hits in seven innings of a 3-0 loss on Sept. 6, his major-league
debut.
Chicago counters with righty Gavin Floyd, who'll seek to end a career's worth
of frustration against the Twins.
The 29-year-old from Maryland, who's a game above .500 in 125 major-league
decisions, is 4-11 in 16 starts against Minnesota with a bloated 6.29 earned
run average in 97 1/3 innings.
He last faced the Twins on May 22 in Chicago and dropped a 9-2 decision after
allowing all nine runs on eight hits and three walks in just 3 2/3 innings.
In five starts since, he's split four decisions, including a 7-0 defeat of the
Chicago Cubs in his most recent outing on June 20.
The teams split 18 games last season and the White Sox have not won a season
series with the Twins since 2005. So far in 2012, Chicago took the final two
games of a three-game set at U.S. Cellular Field in May.
06/26 10:33:48 ET

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