The Chicago White Sox entered Saturday's home game against the Minnesota Twins holding a 2.5-game lead in the AL Central after Cleveland won the opener of a doubleheader against Detroit earlier in the day. With 23 games left in the regular season, every result in the division carries weight.
According to Yahoo Sports, the White Sox sent Erick Fedde to the mound for the 6:40 p.m. CDT first pitch at home. Fedde has posted a 3.77 ERA over his last 15 starts and earned the win last Saturday against these same Twins, allowing just three hits and two runs over five innings of work. Chicago and Minnesota are playing each other for the second straight weekend, this time with the series shifted to the South Side.
Fedde's consistency has made him one of the more reliable arms in a White Sox rotation that struggled for most of the year. Other starters failed to hold down spots in the rotation, but Fedde settled into a dependable role as the season moved into September.
Minnesota countered with Zebby Matthews, whose recent stretch has been among the best by any starting pitcher in the American League. Matthews has won each of his last five starts and had not lost since July 24. He posted a 2.90 ERA across the month of August. In his most recent outing, he dominated the White Sox and came within a couple of outs of a complete game.
The Twins entered Saturday still technically alive in the division race, sitting three games back of the final wild-card slot. With limited games remaining and the White Sox holding their lead, Minnesota's margin for error has narrowed considerably.
Chicago's offense had been quiet in recent weeks heading into the game. The club also welcomed back infielder Kyle Teel to the starting lineup after another stint on injury rehab in Charlotte. Munetaka Murakami was also in the lineup and in need of a stronger stretch of play to help the White Sox protect their position in the standings.
The game was scheduled to air on CHSN and broadcast on ESPN Chicago 1000.