The Chicago White Sox are nearing the end of a historically bad season, but interim manager Grady Sizemore still is excited about every game.
Sizemore hopes that enthusiasm turns into a much-needed victory when the White Sox (33-115) continue a three-game series against the visiting Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.
Chicago dropped its franchise-record 16th straight home game on Friday, when the Athletics (65-83) held the White Sox to six hits in a 2-0 victory.
The White Sox have lost 18 of their past 20 games and must finish 10-4 or better to avoid matching the 1962 New York Mets for the most single-season losses in modern baseball history (120).
Chicago is 5-26 under Sizemore, who replaced Pedro Grifoli on Aug. 8.
‘‘Even though we’re struggling and not getting the wins, I’m enjoying it.,” Sizemore said. “I get to compete at the big-league level every night. This is what you want to do. We’re all pros here, and we want to go out and win and compete and show what we have.”
The White Sox will aim for their first home win since Aug. 12 when they face Oakland, which has won three of its past four.
Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler singled in the fifth inning on Friday to extend his career-best hitting streak to 21 games. Butler is batting .368 (32-for-87) with 17 runs, eight home runs and 14 RBIs during his streak.
Oakland’s Max Schuemann said Butler brings a positive attitude to everything he does.
“He’s the same person, really, that you see out there on the field when he’s out there having a blast,” Schuemann told the San Francisco Chronicle. “He wants to find a way to have fun with the success he’s having right now.”
Saturday’s matchup will feature a pair of right-handed starting pitchers as Chicago’s Chris Flexen (2-14, 5.26 ERA) faces Oakland’s J.T. Ginn (0-1, 4.58).
Flexen saw his winless streak reach 22 starts last Sunday, when he allowed two runs over six innings in a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox. The streak is the longest in team history.
“Just show up every day and try to get better each week,” Flexen said. “Just stick with my routine and focus on getting ready for every start. Just continue to stick with the routine, work hard and not give up. Just compete. That’s all you can do.”
Flexen is 3-3 with a 4.30 ERA in nine career games (six starts) against Oakland.
Ginn is seeking his first career victory after allowing a total of 10 runs across 19 2/3 innings in his first five major league appearances. He made his third career start last Sunday, giving up three runs over five innings in a 9-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
“I definitely didn’t have my best stuff out there but made some competitive pitches when I had to, left some pitches up in the zone I got hurt on,” Ginn said. “Some days you’re going to have those days, just try to compete and stay in the game as long as you can.”
Ginn has a 12-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last two starts covering 11 innings.
–Field Level Media
