Danks vs. Orioles; homers anticipated – Lineups & Preview 7/2

May 29, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher

(50) reacts after giving up a home run against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles, with an ungainly amount of help from Chris Davis‘ 31 home runs, lead the majors with long balls in 3.7% of their overall plate appearances. John Danks too would lead the league by allowing a home run in 5.8% of his plate appearances if had the innings to qualify alongside the likes of Dan Haren and Jeremy Guthrie.

United, as they will be Tuesday night in cramped U.S. Cellular Field, the Orioles offense and John Danks have the potential for unwanted things.

Danks’ dinger troubles are actually betraying an unfathomably great strikeout-to-walk of 8.0 (!!!!!!!) on the year. Danks’ strikeouts are right around his career-average, his swinging-strike rate is actually the highest it has been since 2008 and his total strike percentage is also at career-high levels. He’s not walking anyone–just four free passes in 42.2 innings. You would never know he was coping with surgery-induced velocity loss if it weren’t for the ball leaving the park unannounced all the time.

This is a small sample and it’s expected that some of these figures should normalize and fall back to earth. Home run distribution is the most fluky and what’s most out of whack, so it seems like a good bet to fall. And yet, it had to be expected that something would be a struggle for Danks given the changes he’s dealing with. So far it’s home runs. Tonight, it will probably be home runs too.

White Sox Lineup

1. Alejandro De Aza – CF
2. Alexei Ramirez – SS
3. Alex Rios – RF
4. Adam Dunn – 1B
5. Paul Konerko – DH
6. Conor Gillaspie – 3B
7. Dayan Viciedo – LF
8. Gordon Beckham – 2B
9. Tyler Flowers – C

John Danks, SP

“This is the daaaaaay, your life will surely chaaange! This is the daaaaay, when things fall into place!”

-What I imagine Robin Ventura, or anyone, sings when writing “Dayan Viciedo” into a lineup.

Baltimore Orioles lineup

1. Nick Markakis – RF
2. Manny Machado – 3B
3. J.J. Hardy – SS
4. Adam Jones – CF
5. Chris Davis – 1B
6. Matt Wieters – C
7. Danny Valencia – DH
8. Nolan Reimold – LF
9. Brian Roberts – 2B

Jason Hammel, SP

Nate McLouth is having a fine season and just getting the day off, yet I still don’t see how Rick Hahn looks at the bottom of the Baltimore Orioles’ order and lets them leave town without trading for Rios, Konerko and Beckham in one swoop. Maybe Jim Thome was just hired to physically restrain Dan Duquette from escaping his skybox.

Where to Watch: WCIU, 7:10 pm. Ready yourself for commercials that are just of still shot of a dog and a voiceover insisting that the dog pictured has horrible taste in television.

Follow James Fegan on Twitter @JRFegan