On Deck will be here all season to provide you with everything you need to know (and a few things you don't) about every Rangers series during the 2014 season.
The Opponent: The White Sox have the most exciting rookie in baseball in slugger Jose Abreu, the big-league home run leader who just saw his 21-game hit streak snapped. But other than, things aren't going too well for the Pale Hose.
Past 2014 Meetings: The Rangers are 2-1 against the White Sox this year, including an offensive explosion that resulted in a 12-0 victory back in April.
Pitching Matchups: Monday — Nick Martinez (1-7, 5.08 ERA) vs. Hector Noesi (5-7, 4.65); Tuesday — Colby Lewis (7-8, 5.98) vs. John Danks (9-6, 4.50); Wednesday — Nick Tepesch (3-7, 4.84) vs. Chris Sale (10-1, 2.09)
What's Hot: Elvis Andrus is in a really hot stretch right now, which is coming with unfortunate timing of the Rangers playing horribly. The oft-criticized shortstop is hitting .400 over the last six games and is second on the team with five RBIs in that span. Adrian Beltre is beginning to heat back up after a rough stretch and is batting .304 in that same span. Colby Lewis is coming off his best outing of the season when he allowed two runs in seven innings in a win over the Yankees.
The White Sox are a very average team, but they are loaded offensively, led by Abreu, who's batting .476 with a homer and five RBIs in his last six games. Shortstop Alexei Ramirez is hitting .370 with a homer and nine RBIs in that same span, and center fielder Adam Eaton is batting .556 with five RBIs over that time. In other words, it's a hot offense at the moment.
What's Not: Newly called up reliever Phil Klein has pitched in two games for the Rangers, and neither has gone well. He threw to one batter on Sunday and allowed a walkoff homer in the Rangers' extra-innings loss, making it two home runs he's given up in his two big-league appearances.
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Two of the White Sox's sluggers, Adam Dunn and Dayan Viciedo, are hitting an identical .167 over the last week, with Dunn's only two hits both leaving the yard. Noesi gave up six runs in six innings in his last outing.
Familiar Faces: John Danks, who will start Tuesday's game against the Rangers, was formerly a Rangers prospect with all kinds of promise before he was traded to the White Sox for Brandon McCarthy.
