Today is not Chris Sale Day – Lineups & Preview 8/13

Aug 12, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez (10) breaks a bat while lining out against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Oh no. Oh no! Ohhhhhhhhh dddaaaaaammmmmiiiiitttttttt!

The metallic burping of the morning alarm brings forward an awful truth. We all dozed off, and in the mean time, a new day began. A new day of the 2013 White Sox, embroiled in a series with the Detroit Tigers. The giddy game recaps telling the tales of “Chris Sale, dominant again” and “a rare and refreshing–if a bit lucky–outburst from the White Sox offense” on all the local and national sports sites have been replaced by dreaded game previews. Like this one! Exactly like this one.

Which is not to speak ill of dearest Hector Santiago, who has performed admirably this season despite having a comedy of errors befalling him (three unearned runs) the last time he faced the Tigers. Surely his career performance against Detroit will get trotted out during the pre-game, in-game, or post-game broadcast despite it only accounting for 24 innings, but I’ll give it run here because it represents the Hector Santiago experience as a whole–24 IP, 24 K, 16 BB, 2.63 ERA. An exciting number of strikeouts, a terrifying amount of walks and an ERA far lower than what makes sense.

Every now and then I worry that Hector will start making sense. But this is baseball; that sort of stuff doesn’t have to happen.

Today’s 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 – RF
7. Jeff Keppinger – 3B
8. Jordan Danks – CF
9. Josh Phegley – C

Hector Santiago, SP

Jeff Keppinger nabs two-straight starts at third versus right-handed starters. Well, earn it, Jeff.

The fear here, of course, is the White Sox are just another sacrificial goat being thrown in the path of Max Scherzer’s win-plowing thresher. They have themselves to blame for Scherzer getting more attention than Sale. In two games against the Sox, each occurring within the last month, Scherzer has thrown 15.2 innings, allowed seven hits and two runs.

Avisail is 2-13 with the White Sox with two groundball singles, one of which didn’t leave the infield. He’s pounding pretty much everything into the dirt and I don’t think “pitch him inside” or “jam him” is this Tigers-specific secret that other teams won’t figure out how to exploit.

Detroit Tigers Lineup:

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

Max Scherzer, SP

Where to Watch: WCIU in Chicago (Sorry, guys) and Fox Sports Detroit