Double Dankses, Doubleheader – Lineup & Preview 8/9

Still here. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Rios remains on the White Sox

That’s probably the most important nugget I can offer out of this one. With the striking (in appearance!) right fielder remaining in the fold, one more logical path for the Ascension of Avisail is closed. In the mean time, Dayan Viciedo’s thumb is holding him out of another game, resulting in the curiosity of two Danks brother starting simultaneously.

This was a somewhat cooler prospect when John was an above-average starter and Jordan had the somewhat curious designation of “future No. 2 hitter.” Now, Danks is hanging around in a rotation out of contractual obligation to see whether he can piece things together after shoulder surgery and Jordan has dragged his way to fourth outfielder status after thousands of Triple-A plate appearances.

John has allowed an amazing 20 home runs in 89.2 innings of work this season, Jordan last homered on May 6, one of the two major league blasts he’s hit in his entire career. However, both shots have been go-ahead home runs that wound up being the deciding runs in the game. So if he homers, there’s probably reason to be excited. If John can actually avoid home runs, there’s certainly plenty of reason to be excited. 

White Sox Lineup:

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

John Danks, SP

The Twins have a top-flight farm system, have gotten encouraging production from rookie Oswaldo Arcia, construct their lineup intelligently with Joe Mauer in the No. 2 slot–which is different than whatever weird scouting politics are in play when a prospect is designated as a “future No. 2 hitter”–but then you look and see they’re starting Clete Thomas in center field and know they’re not quite there yet.

Minnesota Twins lineup

1. Brian Dozier – 2B
2. Joe Mauer – C
3. Josh Willingham – DH
4. Justin Morneau – 1B
5. Chris Colabello – RF
6. Oswaldo Arcia – LF
7. Trevor Plouffe – 3B
8. Clete Thomas – CF
9. Pedro Florimon – SS

Kyle Gibson, SP

A recipient of Tommy John surgery in 2012, Mizzou grad Kyle Gibson is having an exceedingly rough go of it through seven major league starts (6.69 ERA) and is showing a Twinsian aversion to strikeouts (20 in 36.1 innings) without any other mediating skills to make up for it just yet.

The talent is there, however. He just needs some moribund offense to coax it out of him….

…Which he won’t find here! The streaking White Sox are just 45 wins in a row from being right back in this thing.

Where to Watch: CSN Chicago & Fox Sports North at 1:10 pm CT