Feierabend likely to make Jays debut vs. White Sox

The Chicago White Sox and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays hope the weather is better Sunday afternoon when they complete their four-game series.

Rain limited their game Saturday to 4 1/2 innings, with the White Sox prevailing 4-1 after a three-hour delay.

After winning two of three games in a set in Toronto last weekend, the White Sox have clinched the season series. The best the Blue Jays can do is split this series to earn a split of their six-game road trip.

Saturday, the White Sox out-hit the Blue Jays 7-3. On Friday, the Blue Jays had a rare offensive breakout with 15 hits in a 10-2 victory. They had only two hits Thursday in losing the series opener 4-2.

"Honestly I didn't see this team struggling this much," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters before the game Friday. "The hitters that we've got, they're better than what we've hitting."

The Blue Jays wanted to keep Friday's hitting momentum going, and had hoped that Saturday's game could be resumed.

The White Sox are scheduled to start right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (3-4, 5.58 ERA), and the Blue Jays will go with righty Trent Thornton (1-4, 4.81).

Lopez will be making his 10th start this season, seventh at home and first against the Blue Jays. He will be trying to win consecutive starts for the first time this season.

In his past four starts, he has a 3.65 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 24 2/3 innings. He earned the win on May 13 over the Cleveland Indians after allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out six in a season-high 7 2/3 innings.

López is 0-1 with a 7.84 ERA in two career starts against Toronto. He took the loss in his last outing on July 27, 2018, in Chicago when he allowed eight runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Thornton is scheduled to make his 10th major league start of the season and of his career. He earned his first major league win Tuesday against the Giants in San Francisco, allowing two runs on 3 hits and five walks while striking out seven in 5 2/3 innings.

The Blue Jays have done a good job so far in the series of containing a hot White Sox hitter, catcher James McCann.

McCann, who was signed as a free agent by Chicago in the offseason after the Detroit Tigers let him go, was 6-for-9 with an RBI in two games against the Blue Jays in Toronto May 11-12.

He was 0-for-3 Friday and 0-for-2 Saturday. Yet, he is still batting .347 with a .941 OPS. He entered the game batting .397 (25-for-63) since April 22, the best average in the majors during that span.

"I opened up my stance a little more than where I was when I first dipped into the league," McCann said. "And the big thing for me was getting my body out of the way. I think that's part of what the open stance has done, has allowed me to see the ball and allowed me to keep my body out of my swing and allowed my hands to work."

McCann said that he still keeps his focus on his work behind the plate.

"Game planning, and going over scouting reports and watching video and helping my pitchers get through each inning and going through the lineup," he said.

"He works very, very hard on all aspects of his game," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "I think this is probably one of the better starts he's had offensively in his career."

--Field Level Media