April 12, 2011
A'S (5-5) vs.
CHICAGO (6-4)
Coverage begins at 4:30 P.M. on Comcast SportsNet California
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
CHICAGO (AP) -- With his current contract expiring at the end of this season, Edwin Jackson could be in line for a lucrative deal if he continues his brilliant start for the Chicago White Sox.
Trevor Cahill just parlayed an All-Star season with the Oakland Athletics into a hefty raise.
The two right-handers will both try to stay perfect on the season Tuesday night when the clubs continue their series in Chicago.
RELATED: Game notes
News
Acquired from Arizona on July 30, Jackson has enjoyed his short stint with the White Sox, going 6-2 with a 3.03 ERA in 13 starts. Control has been an issue for Jackson, who had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.6 before last season's deal, but he has displayed much improved accuracy with Chicago, striking out 97 with just 23 walks.
Jackson (2-0, 1.93 ERA) walked one and set a career high - and a franchise record for a homer opener - with 13 strikeouts over eight innings of Thursday's 5-1 win over Tampa Bay.
"Any time I'm able to go out and get in an early rhythm and get outs quick and attack the strike zone, I like my odds," said Jackson, whose two-year, 13.35 million deal ends after the season.
NEWS: MLB player transactions
Jackson, who has never won his first three starts, is 2-1 with a 3.08 ERA in four starts against the A's. He struck out six over seven innings and did not earn a decision in a 4-3 victory at Oakland on Sept. 22.
If Jackson puts the White Sox (6-4) in a save situation Tuesday, it's uncertain who will get the call out of the bullpen after closer Matt Thornton blew his third save of the season in Monday's 2-1, 10-inning loss.
REWIND: Suzuki's solo shot gives A's win over White Sox
White Sox left fielder Juan Pierre hasn't helped Thornton, dropping fly balls in the ninth inning of his last two appearances.
"One thing I said, in spring training and I say over and over, we got to take care of (Mark) Buehrle," manager Ozzie Guillen said after the left-hander held the A's scoreless through eight innings with just two hits - none until a leadoff single in the sixth by Kurt Suzuki, who hit the go-ahead solo homer in the 10th off Jesse Crain.
Oakland (5-5) will try to extend its season-high winning streak to four with Cahill (1-0, 1.42) taking the ball for the first time since agreeing to a five-year, 30.5 million extension Monday. The 23-year-old will receive a 1 million signing bonus and a salary of 500,000 in 2011 before it escalates to 3.5 million in 2012.
GUTIERREZ: Cahill's deal a stroke of genius for A's
"I came up with them and I'm just glad they gave me the opportunity to lock me up and I'm guaranteed to pitch for a while, so I couldn't be happier," said Cahill, 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA last season when he was named an All-Star for the first time.
The White Sox have hit 12 home runs and are averaging 6.3 runs with a .295 batting average, but they may not be happy to see the young sinkerballer, who has added a curveball to his repertoire since last season.
"I couldn't be happier with how that pitch has progressed," manager Bob Geren said after Cahill threw eight innings of three-hit ball in Thursday's 2-1 win at Toronto.
Cahill is 1-1 with a 3.34 ERA in five starts versus Chicago.
White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko is 1 for 8 lifetime against Cahill, but the AL co-player of the week is batting .421 (16 for 38) while hitting safely in all 10 games this season.
NOTES
At 51-46 (.526), the Athletics are one of only two American League teams to own a winning record against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. With a victory on Monday, Oakland would edge past the Yankees (47-42, .528) for the best such record by an AL visitor. ... The A's captured their first series of 2011 by taking two of three games from the Twins. Oakland is 3-0 in series finales this season, as opposed to 1-5 otherwise. ... The White Sox improved to 6-3 by going 3-1 versus Tampa Bay this past weekend. The Sox have scored fewer than four runs only once and lead the majors with an average of 6.9 runs per game. ... Dallas Braden has registered a quality start in each of three career outings against the White Sox, going 2-0 while compiling a 3.22 ERA. ... Mark Buehrle is 4-13 in his career against the Athletics, the lowest winning percentage (.235) by any pitcher versus the A's since the franchise moved to Oakland in 1968 (minimum 15 decisions). ... With a pair of home runs on Sunday, Paul Konerko leads the American League with 11 RBI. He's also the only American Leaguer with at least 100 RBI (103) in April since 2006.