Affecting the playoff race – Lineups & Preview 9/9

Sep 3, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher

(49) pitches against the New York Yankees during the eighth inning of a game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The White Sox are a disappointing team that will play 20 more games, then go home for the winter and think about what they did and what they failed to do. But that doesn’t mean they have to spend their last weeks with the other losers who are set to do the same!

Instead, the White Sox will be sitting at the cool kids table for the majority of the month, as those cool kids scheme of a way to beat the Sox mercilessly and take all of their lunch money in private away from the others. That process gets started with three games against the division-leading Tigers, who probably don’t need the help to hold off the fraudulent Cleveland Indians, but will take it anyway if it’s available.

To start things off, however, they’ll have to wrest a win away from the spindly fingers of Chris Sale, which is not impossible to do (as evidenced by his 10-12) record, but certainly challenging, since he’s putting together one of the most dominant seasons in White Sox history (wink, wink, nod, nod to tomorrow morning’s feature).

White Sox Lineup:

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

Chris Sale, SP

With Avisail Garcia out with tooth issues, there’s nothing to distinguish this from a particularly sad early July lineup. Speaking of sad lineups, Alexei Ramirez is slugging .347 since everyone wondered whether three home runs in a week meant that the No. 3 slot had changed his approach and inspired him to not be a punchless hitter. Sure, he’s slugging .432 if you include those three bombs, but goodness gracious he’s still Alexei Ramirez.

Tigers Lineup:

1. Austin Jackson – CF
2. Torii Hunter – RF
3. Miguel Cabrera – 3B
4. Prince Fielder – 1B
5. Victor Martinez – DH
6. Nick Castellanos – LF
7. Omar Infante – 2B
8. Brayan Pena – C
9. Jose Iglesias – SS

Max Scherzer, SP

With Nick Castellanos making his second career start, the Tigers even have the advantage in terms of exciting prospects on display. That’s in addition to having the advantage in terms of Cy Young buzz, playoff chances for this year, playoff chances for next year, willingness of ownership to spend, sense of liberation that can only be felt by releasing Delmon Young, etc…

Prince Fielder is still struggling his way through a very disappointing season by his standards and considering the value of his contract. He’s scuffled to a .274/.359/.449 batting for which he would be HAILED AS A GOD if he put it up in Chicago.

Where to Watch: 7:10 pm CT on CSN Chicago and Fox Sports Detroit

Follow James Fegan on Twitter @JRFegan