Danks & The Lat Man – Lineups & Preview 8/31

If you can’t guide yourself through this one–a quick road reunion with Jake Peavy, the big-time, former Cy Young, instant upgrade ace who was brought in to lead the rotation and start Game 1 of a playoff series that never took place,–you’re never making it through  possibly seeing Mark Buehrle at the end of the month.

Any tears shed during the playful gamesmanship between Peavy and Dunn, Peavy and Danks, and Peavy and Ozzie Guillen, sitting in an old 2005 World Series hoodie on the Green Monster, throwing alarmingly large rocks at the mound and cackling, dooms you to be a pathetic blubbering mess on Sep. 23.

Gird yourself. Deny those emotions! They only weaken you!

White Sox Lineup:

1. Alejandro De Aza – LF
2. Gordon Beckham – 2B
3. Alexei Ramirez – SS
4. Adam Dunn – DH
5. Paul Konerko – 1B
6. Avisail Garcia – CF
7. Conor Gillaspie – 3B
8. Jordan Danks – RF
9. Josh Phegley – C

John Danks, SP

-FUN FACT: Avisail Garcia is now hitting .360/.392/.507 in a White Sox uniform. Enjoy this moment. Not saying it won’t get better. It might. I hope it will! But it’s very good right now.

-Jordan Danks is surely playing for a reason, because if the priority is developing Dayan, this is pulling him when he’s at least superficially  on a roll. Viciedo is riding an eight-game hitting streak where he’s put up a .433/.469/.600

-Conor Gillaspie starts just his third game of the last eight on the White Sox schedule, despite being better against righties than Jeff Keppinger even when Keppinger is fully functional. This is a big sticking point with me.

Red Sox Lineup:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury – CF
2. Shane Victorino – RF
3. Dustin Pedroia – 2B
4. David Ortiz – DH
5. Mike Napoli – 1B
6. Jonny Gomes – LF
7. Will Middlebrooks – 3B
8. David Ross – C
9. Xander Bogaerts – SS

Jake Peavy, SP

Bogaerts is an awesome prospect. Watch him and Avisail’s at-bats and IGNORE THE REST OF THE GAME!

Where to Watch: 6:10 pm CT on WGN and NESN

Follow James Fegan on Twitter @JRFegan