Chicago White Sox (20-24) at Baltimore Orioles (21-23), 1:05 p.m. (DH) (ET)
Game Two: Chicago - Chris Beck (0-0, 0.00) Baltimore - Mike Wright (1-0, 0.00)
(SportsNetwork.com) - There should be a better atmosphere inside Camden Yards this time around when the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles square off in a traditional doubleheader.
The doubledip became necessary when two of three games scheduled in late April were postponed due to the civil unrest in Baltimore surrounding the death of Freddy Gray, who was arrested April 12 and later died after suffering a severe spinal injury.
One game was actually completed between the teams, but that April 29 contest was played before an empty stadium.
Baltimore won that game and comes into this one on the heels of taking two of three from the upstart Houston Astros. The Orioles were able to take Wednesday's rubber match, as Chris Davis' second homer was a go-ahead solo shot in the eighth inning which lifted them to a 5-4 win.
Davis also smacked a two-run blast for the Orioles, who had dropped three of their last four games.
"I thought I did a better job of making an adjustment and making them throw it in the zone," Davis said. "I think that's big, not only for me but for everyone in the lineup."
Heading to the hill for the Orioles in the first game Thursday will be righty Tyler Wilson, who will be making his first big league start. Wilson appeared in two games out of the bullpen for the Orioles before being sent to Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday.
Righty Mike Wright gets the ball in game two, trying for his third straight scoreless outing. After tossing 7 1/3 scoreless frames to win his major league debut, Wright failed to get a decision on Saturday in Miami, despite not allowing a run in seven innings.
Chicago avoided a three-game sweep in Toronto on Wednesday, as Adam LaRoche and Gordon Beckham each knocked in runs in the top of the 10th inning to lift the White Sox to a 5-3 triumph.
The two big hits enabled a shaky David Robertson (4-1) to record the win despite surrendering a game-tying solo homer to Josh Donaldson in the bottom of the ninth.
Still, it was only Chicago's second win in its last nine tries.
"We definitely needed a win," Robertson said. "We hadn't had one in a while, so it was nice."
Getting the call for the Pale Hose in the opener will be lefty Chris Sale, who has just one win in his last six starts. Sale absorbed the loss to Minnesota on Saturday, as he surrendered four runs (3 earned) and five hits in eight innings. He also fanned 10 in the loss, but fell to 3-2 to go along with a 4.21 ERA.
He is 0-2 in nine games (3 starts) versus the O's with a 5.06 ERA.
In the second game the White Sox will rely on 24-year-old righty Chris Beck, who will be used as the team's 26th man in his big league debut.
Beck, ranked the club's No. 12 prospect by MLB.com, is 3-2 with a 3.30 ERA, 11 walks, 33 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP over eight starts this season with Triple-A Charlotte.
"We've gotten great reports on him, so we feel it's a good time for him to come up and start and start that process," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Control-wise he's done great. ... What he did in spring, as well as what he's done now, you give him this opportunity."