White Sox hope to keep heat on wild-card-aspiring Giants

August 20 - |A| The Chicago White Sox |B| will call upon pride |C| and the inspiration of |D| two local talents when |E| they continue a three-game |F| road series against the |G| playoff-contending San Francisco Giants |H| on Tuesday night.

The |J| visitors had an early |K| lead and made a |L| late rally in the |M| series opener on Monday, |O| but both went for |P| naught in a hard-fought, |Q| 5-3 loss.

The win |R| allowed the Giants to |S| move within 3 1/2 |U| games of the final |V| wild-card National League spot.

|Y| dir="ltr">The White Sox, who |Z| were mathematically eliminated from |A| the American League playoff |B| race over the weekend, |C| took the field Monday |D| with a goal of |E| impacting the postseason picture |F| over the final six |G| weeks of the season.

|H| dir="ltr">They succeeded in making |J| the Giants sweat, scoring |K| twice in the eighth |L| to get within two, |M| then getting the potential |O| tying runs aboard later |P| in the inning and |Q| again in the ninth |R| before coming up short.

|S| dir="ltr">Theres always something to |U| play for, interim manager |V| Grady Sizemore noted. There |Y| are a lot of |Z| playoff teams coming up, |A| there are going to |B| be a lot of |C| good matchups and we |D| can do a lot |E| of harm and spoil |F| the party.

The White |G| Sox will see the |H| team immediately ahead of |J| the Giants in the |K| NL race -- the |L| New York Mets -- |M| during a homestand next |O| week.

A trip to |P| San Francisco means a |Q| return home for Andrew |R| Vaughn and Korey Lee, |S| a pair of University |U| of California alumni who |V| were slotted Nos. 3-4 |Y| in the Chicago lineup |Z| Monday.

Lee (double and |A| a single) and Vaughn |B| (single) combined for three |C| of Chicagos 11 hits, |D| but hopes of a |E| happy homecoming ended when |F| each flied out with |G| the potential tying runs |H| on base in the |J| ninth to end the |K| game.

They will take |L| their cracks Tuesday against |M| Robbie Ray (2-2, 6.00 |O| ERA). The Giants left-hander |P| equaled the shortest start |Q| of his career when |R| he got just two |S| outs in a 13-2 |U| home loss to the |V| Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. |Y| He was pulled after |Z| walking three, hitting two |A| and allowing one hit, |B| all of which resulted |C| in five runs.

Despite |D| having recorded wins over |E| 26 major league teams |F| in his 11-year career, |G| the 32-year-old has never |H| beaten the White Sox, |J| going 0-1 with a |K| 3.66 ERA in three |L| starts.

Chicago is set |M| to send righty Davis |O| Martin (0-1, 3.00 ERA) |P| out to face the |Q| Giants for the first |R| time in his two-year |S| major league career.

The |U| White Sox have lost |V| all three of 27-year-olds |Y| starts this season despite |Z| the fact he has |A| allowed zero or one |B| run in two of |C| them. The White Sox |D| have been outscored 23-6 |E| in Martins starts, with |F| 18 of the opponents |G| runs coming after Martin |H| left the game.

Martin |J| likely will see the |K| Giants once again without |L| starting catcher Patrick Bailey, |M| who felt tightness in |O| his side during batting |P| practice Monday and was |Q| scratched from the lineup.

|R| dir="ltr">Veteran Curt Casali made |S| the most of his |U| emergency start, stroking two |V| hits, including an RBI |Y| single in the Giants |Z| decisive, four-run fifth inning.

|A| dir="ltr">Thats what guys like |B| him (do) -- a |C| lot of times youre |D| not expecting to play, |E| you come in, and |F| he contributed (both offensively |G| and defensively), Giants manager |H| Bob Melvin said. Big |J| hit, and he knows |K| how to protect the |L| lead (on defense). Nice |M| resource to have.

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