Hard-hitting Yanks go for sweep of White Sox

Aug 2, 2007, 14:45 GMT

- The New York Yankees are still rolling despite the recent woes of Alex Rodriguez and will shoot for a series sweep of the Chicago White Sox this afternoon in the finale of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.

New York has won three straight and 14 of its last 19 games, including Wednesday's 8-1 victory over the White Sox in the second test of this series. Rodriguez finished 0-for-4 and is hitless in his last 21 at-bats since belting career homer No. 499 at Kansas City on July 25.

Perhaps the pressure of becoming the youngest player to reach 500 career home runs has distracted the 32-year-old Rodriguez, who can become the 22nd player in major league history to reach the illustrious mark.

Jorge Posada hit two of five New York home runs last night, just one day after the Yankees belted a franchise-tying eight long balls in a 16-3 bashing of the White Sox. Shelley Duncan clubbed a two-run homer, while Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter added solo shots last night.

The Yankees, who have scored 34 runs during their three-game win streak, equaled a club record with the 13 combined homers in back-to-back contests. They are two games off the American League wild card chase and seven games behind Boston for the top spot in the AL East.

Starting pitcher Andy Pettitte earned the win by limiting the White Sox to six hits and a run over seven innings, walking two and fanning six.

New York will send future Hall of Fame pitcher Roger Clemens to the mound on Thursday, and he is 3-5 with a 3.92 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) this season.

Clemens is 1-2 over his last five starts and was handed the loss on Saturday against Baltimore, allowing four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.

He isn't having the type of return to the Yankees he once imagined, but will have the home crowd in his corner today. Clemens is 2-1 with a 2.10 earned run average at Yankee Stadium this season.

The right-hander will take on the White Sox for the first time this season. In 33 career starts against Chicago, Clemens is 17-8 with seven complete games (three shutouts) and a 3.34 ERA.

White Sox starter Jon Garland avoided being traded on Tuesday and will take the hill this afternoon against the Yankees.

Garland, who owns an 8-7 mark with a 4.12 ERA in 21 starts this season, is 4-2 over his past seven trips to the mound. In his previous outing on Friday against Toronto, Garland lasted 7 1/3 innings and gave up three runs and 10 hits during a 4-3 victory at U.S. Cellular Field.

The young righty is 4-2 in 10 road starts this season and will try to stifle the Yankees again. Garland defeated New York in Chicago on May 17, when he yielded just one run in seven innings of work.

In eight career starts against the Bronx Bombers, Garland is 3-5 with a 3.07 earned run average.

Chicago has lost three in a row and eight of its last 13 games. Starting pitcher John Danks was throttled for six hits, including three homers, and six runs -- five earned -- over four innings for the loss.

Scott Podsednik tripled in Jermaine Dye in the second inning and the White Sox never reached home plate again. Chicago is 12 games off the AL wild card lead and 13 games behind Detroit in the Central standings.

New York is 6-3 against the White Sox this season and 10-5 over the previous 15 encounters between the teams.

© 2007 The Sports Network