Chi White Sox (0-0) at Tampa Bay (0-0)

TV: TBS | Radio: WSCR 670, ESPN Radio 6:07 pm ET Tropicana Field TV: TBS | Radio: WHNZ 1250, ESPN Radio
cws

No pressure: Buehrle has seen it before

Jason Beck / MLB.com
Don't expect Mark Buehrle to play the experience card as he prepares for Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Rays, who claimed a 6-4 win on Thursday to take a 1-0 lead. It means nothing to him if he can't pitch in the here and now.
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White Sox probable pitcher

Mark Buehrle

  • #56 LHP
  • (0-0) -.-- ERA 0 SO
Buehrle would be considered the staff ace, despite 17 wins from Gavin Floyd, and certainly has the most playoff experience among the four White Sox starters. But with a 4-9 record and 5.05 ERA on the road, compared to his 11-3 mark and 2.65 ERA at home, Buehrle might have been held back to Game 3 if not for Floyd and Danks being unable to work on such short rest. Pitching on Friday also would set up Buehrle to come back for a potential Game 5 on regular rest. Buehrle has a 0-1 record in three starts this season against Tampa Bay and carries a 5.54 ERA over two starts at Tropicana Field. Carlos Pena has five hits in 10 at-bats against Buehrle, and Pena is expected to play on Friday.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 122-87 3.80 1847.2 425 1083 .270
Season 15-12 3.79 218.2 52 140 .281
Vs. Tampa Bay 0-1 4.58 19.2 6 15 .316

Series at a Glance

Standings - 10/03/2008 W L PCT GB Home Away
Chicago White Sox (AL Central) 89 74 .546 - 54-28 35-46
Tampa Bay Rays (AL East) 97 65 .599 - 57-24 40-41
Stats - 10/03/2008 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
CWS .263 811 235 785 67 1016 4.06 1457.2 1471 460 1147
TB .260 774 180 735 142 1224 3.82 1457.2 1349 526 1143
tb

Kazmir can seize moment in Game 2

Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
Manager Joe Maddon has faith that Scott Kazmir is on the verge of finding the consistency he's lacked all season. There's no better time for the young lefty to live up to Maddon's expectations than on Friday, when Kazmir takes the mound for the Rays in a critical Game 2 of its American League Division Series against the White Sox at Tropicana Field.
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Rays probable pitcher

Scott Kazmir

  • #19 LHP
  • (0-0) -.-- ERA 0 SO
Kazmir lost his last start against the Tigers Sept. 25 when he allowed four home runs in five innings. The 24-year-old left-hander has struggled with his mechanics all season and has worked all season with little luck to gain command of his slider, which has historically been his best pitch. Without his slider, Kazmir has relied primarily on a fastball-changeup combination. Kazmir is 8-2 with a 2.90 ERA in 14 starts at Tropicana Field this season.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 47-37 3.61 723.0 332 783 .242
Season 12-8 3.49 152.1 70 166 .220
Vs. Chi White Sox 1-0 2.08 13.0 5 13 .163

White Sox hitters vs Scott Kazmir
Regular Season stats only

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Armstrong, Cole - - - - - - - -
Beckham, Gordon - - - - - - - -
De Aza, Alejandro - - - - - - - -
Flowers, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Gartrell, Stefan - - - - - - - -
Konerko, Paul .000 4 0 0 .333 12 1 2
Kotsay, Mark .000 3 0 0 .167 12 0 1
Lillibridge, Brent - - - - - - - -
Nix, Jayson - - - - - - - -
Pierzynski, A.J. - - - - .167 6 0 0
Quentin, Carlos .000 4 0 0 .000 4 0 0
Ramirez, Alexei .400 5 0 0 .400 5 0 0
Rios, Alex - - - - .233 30 1 3
Teahen, Mark - - - - .154 13 0 1
Viciedo, Dayan - - - - - - - -

Rays hitters vs Mark Buehrle
Regular Season stats only

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Aybar, Willy .000 6 0 1 .000 6 0 1
Bartlett, Jason .250 8 0 1 .222 27 0 1
Brignac, Reid - - - - - - - -
Burrell, Pat - - - - .000 3 0 1
Crawford, Carl .500 4 0 0 .556 18 0 4
Gross, Gabe .200 5 0 2 .200 5 0 2
Jaso, John - - - - - - - -
Jennings, Desmond - - - - - - - -
Johnson, Elliot - - - - - - - -
Joyce, Matt - - - - - - - -
Kapler, Gabe - - - - .222 18 0 1
Lobaton, Jose - - - - - - - -
Longoria, Evan .000 6 0 0 .000 6 0 0
Navarro, Dioner - - - - .000 2 0 0
Pena, Carlos .500 10 0 2 .292 24 0 3
Perez, Fernando - - - - - - - -
Riggans, Shawn .429 7 0 1 .429 7 0 1
Rodriguez, Sean .400 5 0 0 .400 5 0 0
Ruggiano, Justin - - - - - - - -
Upton, B.J. .400 10 0 1 .385 13 0 1
Zobrist, Ben .333 3 0 0 .333 3 0 0

Red-hot Rays eye ALCS (0-2) (2-0)

Rays 6, White Sox 2

Sox in tight spot

Scott Merkin / MLB.com
The White Sox had Rays starter Scott Kazmir on the ropes in the first inning, but could not put him away. Chicago scored twice on Jim Thome's RBI single and Alexei Ramirez's sac fly before leaving the bases loaded. That ended up being all the offense it mustered while falling into an 0-2 hole in the Division Series.

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Series at a Glance

 

Rays sitting pretty

Bill Chastain / MLB.com
Scott Kazmir settled down after a shaky first inning in his postseason debut, and the Rays' bullpen was once again lights-out in securing a second straight victory over the White Sox. Dioner Navarro drove home the first run with a single, and Akinori Iwamura put Tampa Bay ahead for good with a two-run homer in the fifth.
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Rays 6, White Sox 2

Chi White SoxABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Cabrera, SS4120001.250
Swisher, LF3110212.333
Dye, RF5040002.556
Konerko, 1B5010006.333
Thome, DH5011012.111
Ramirez, 2B3011002.333
Pierzynski, C4010013.429
Uribe, 3B4010033.167
Anderson, B, CF3000020.000
Totals3621222821 

BATTING
TB: Cabrera 2; Swisher; Dye 4; Konerko; Thome; Ramirez; Pierzynski; Uribe.
RBI: Thome (1), Ramirez (1).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Uribe 2; Konerko; Dye; Swisher; Pierzynski.
S: Anderson, B.
SF: Ramirez.
GIDP: Konerko.
Team LOB: 12.

FIELDING
E: Ramirez (1, throw).
DP: (Ramirez-Cabrera-Konerko).
 
Tampa BayABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Iwamura, 2B4112010.375
Upton, CF4110010.111
Crawford, LF4121000.375
Longoria, 3B4010022.571
Aybar, W, 1B3120001.600
Baldelli, DH4111003.200
Navarro, C4022002.375
Perez, F, RF4010001.250
Bartlett, SS3110002.429
Totals3461260411 

BATTING
2B: Aybar, W (1, Buehrle), Navarro (2, Thornton).
3B: Upton (1, Buehrle).
HR: Iwamura (1, 5th inning off Buehrle, 1 on, 1 out).
TB: Iwamura 4; Upton 3; Crawford 2; Longoria; Aybar, W 3; Baldelli; Navarro 3; Perez, F; Bartlett.
RBI: Navarro 2 (2), Iwamura 2 (3), Crawford (2), Baldelli (1).
2-out RBI: Baldelli; Navarro.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Navarro 2; Perez, F.
S: Aybar, W.
GIDP: Bartlett.
Team LOB: 5.

BASERUNNING
SB: Crawford (1, 2nd base off Dotel/Pierzynski).

FIELDING
DP: (Longoria-Iwamura-Aybar, W).
 
Chi White SoxIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Buehrle (L, 0-1)7.010550316.43
Dotel 0.21110109.00
Thornton 0.11000000.00
 
Tampa BayIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Kazmir (W, 1-0)5.18222403.38
Balfour (H, 2)0.22000000.00
Howell (H, 2)2.01000300.00
Bradford 1.01000100.00

Buehrle pitched to 2 batters in the 8th.
Balfour pitched to 2 batters in the 7th.

HBP: Cabrera (by Kazmir).
Pitches-strikes: Buehrle 101-70, Dotel 7-5, Thornton 8-5, Kazmir 98-64, Balfour 14-11, Howell 27-19, Bradford 20-18.
Groundouts-flyouts: Buehrle 11-7, Dotel 1-0, Thornton 1-0, Kazmir 5-7, Balfour 1-1, Howell 1-2, Bradford 2-0.
Batters faced: Buehrle 30, Dotel 3, Thornton 2, Kazmir 27, Balfour 4, Howell 7, Bradford 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Dotel 1-1, Thornton 1-1, Balfour 1-0, Howell 2-0.
Umpires: HP: CB Bucknor. 1B: Ron Kulpa. 2B: Jeff Kellogg. 3B: Gary Darling. LF: Eric Cooper. RF: Joe West.
Weather: 72 degrees, dome.
Wind: Indoors.
T: 3:10.
Att: 35,257.
October 3, 2008

Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner