Another day, another unbeaten Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher awaiting the Chicago White Sox.
After struggling to solve right-hander Tony Gonsolin (7-0) on Wednesday in a 4-1 defeat, the host White Sox will face lefty Tyler Anderson (7-0) on Thursday in the rubber game of a three-game interleague series.
Anderson enters play with a streak of 26 straight scoreless innings. He extended the stretch Friday with six innings of three-hit ball in a victory against the New York Mets.
The 32-year-old veteran, who has a 2.59 ERA, continues to shine after joining the rotation on the heels of injuries to Andrew Heaney and Clayton Kershaw.
“I just wanted to come here and be on a team that’s going to win and do whatever I could — whether that was starting, bullpen, whatever,” said Anderson, who signed with Los Angeles as a free agent in March. “Just put all that selfishness aside and try to be the best team guy I could.”
Anderson has won four straight starts and pitched no fewer than six innings in his past five starts overall. He has yielded two runs or fewer in seven of his eight starts, crediting improved command and adjusted mechanics of his changeup for the surge.
“Last year, (the changeup) was good at times, but it wasn’t as consistent,” Anderson said. “Finding a better grip has helped me just be a little more consistent, and trusting to throw it when I need to and when I want to.”
The Dodgers stopped a three-game skid on Wednesday and ended Chicago’s three-game winning streak. Will Smith, Cody Bellinger and Trea Turner homered to back Gonsolin’s six innings of one-run ball.
Jake Burger smacked a solo homer to account for Chicago’s lone run. Burger had two of the White Sox’s four hits and is batting .324 (11-for-34) with three home runs and eight RBIs in his past nine games.
With leadoff man Tim Anderson on the injured list, the White Sox are struggling to find a spark at the top of the lineup. Leury Garcia went 0-for-4 with three of the club’s 10 strikeouts in the leadoff spot Wednesday.
“I felt like (crud) at the plate, but I gave it all I got,” said Garcia, who is hitting .184. “I give it 100 percent and struck out three times. Nobody wants three strikeouts. I just have to keep working and things … are going to change.”
Chicago will try for its second straight series victory as right-hander Dylan Cease gets the call. Cease (4-2, 3.39 ERA) is seeking his first victory since beating the Kansas City Royals on May 17. He is coming off a no-decision against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, when he allowed two runs, none earned, and one hit in 4 2/3 innings.
Cease walked seven and struck out five.
Cease has not faced the Dodgers in his career but has had success in interleague play, going 4-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 10 starts, with 67 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings.
Tyler Anderson took a no-decision in his lone career start against the White Sox, allowing three runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings on June 22, 2021, in Pittsburgh.
–Field Level Media