The New York Yankees have won three straight games and now return home to host the Chicago White Sox in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium

Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees

Chicago’s slow start has many fans in the city starting to panic, as the 2011 season was suppose to be a lot better than its current state.  The White Sox offense has scored three runs or fewer 11 times this season and has only scored 25 runs in losing 10 of 11 games.  “Nothing works,” said manager Ozzie Guillen.  “I continue to plug those guys in the lineup”  The team also dropped a 3-0 decision to Detroit on Sunday, which happens to be its ninth straight loss to its hate rival.  Chicago is currently 1-6 on its 11-game road trip to Tampa Bay, Detroit and now New York.  The squad is 6-10 against right-handed starters this season.

White Sox starting pitcher Phil Humber makes his fourth start of the season tonight, bringing in a 1-2 record and 4.42 ERA.  The right-hander is 3-3 with a 5.04 ERA in 31 major league games over parts of six seasons with four different clubs.  Humber has tallied a 1-2 mark and 5.23 ERA in 17 career appearances (one start) on the road, issuing 15 free passes and collecting 17 strikeouts in 32.2 innings of work.  He will be making his first ever appearance against New York in tonight’s contest.

New York has been carries by its offense over the last nine games by averaging 6.6 runs and hitting 18 homers in capturing seven victories over that span.  The Yankees have been led by the offensive exploits of second baseman Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez for most of the season.  Cano enters this series on a 13-game hitting streak and carries a .345 average, while Rodriguez is among the American League leaders in average (.370), home runs (5) and on-base percentage (.483).

Yankees starting pitcher A.J. Burnett will be toeing the rubber for the fifth time this season, entering with a perfect 3-0 record and 4.37 ERA.  The right-hander has won his first three starts of a season for the first time in his career and is looking to go 4-0, matching a career-best to begin a season.  Burnett is undefeated in 14 April starts as a Yankee, going 8-0 with a 4.00 ERA.  The current eight-game April winning streak is the longest active streak in the majors.  He will be making his eight career start versus Chicago, going 2-4 with a 5.58 ERA, while surrendering 41 hits in 40.1 innings of work.

Bettors will likely back the Yankees due to being 13-3 in Burnett’s last 16 starts versus the American League Central, while the White Sox are 3-13 in the last 16 games in the Bronx.