First Pitch: Danks aims to ace bum tooth

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Sunday, April 3, 2011
Posted: 10:43 a.m.

By Brett Ballantini
CSNChicago.com

CLEVELAND Are statistical splits available for pitching with a sore tooth?

Sabermetricians havent busted out pitches per mouth ailment (PMA) or Sore Gum Quality Starts (SGQS), so its impossible to tell how well John Danks hurls under such circumstances.

One thing is clear: The lefthander is lights-out in April.
Danks in April: 7-6 with a 3.03 ERA, .588 OPS, 1.06 WHIP and 3.11 KBB (all but the record are career month bests).
Danks vs. the Cleveland Indians: 3-6 with a 4.95 ERA, .778 OPS, 1.29 WHIP and 2.9 KBB.
Danks at Progressive Field: 3-2 with a 3.79 ERA, .740 OPS, 1.21 WHIP and 2.78 KBB. (Yes, that means the lefty is 0-4 in his career vs. the Wahoos at U.S. Cellular Field.)
Heres how the Indians line up against Danks:

1. Michael Brantley, cf
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, ss (3-12, .500 OPS)
3. Shin-Soo Choo, rf (7-19, 1.000 OPS, five Ks)
4. Carlos Santana, 1b
5. Travis Hafner, dh (4-21, HR, three RBI, .642 OPS, five Ks)
6. Orlando Cabrera, 2b (1-3, three-run homer, 1.833 OPS)
7. Travis Buck, lf (1-4, .400 OPS)
8. Jack Hannahan, 3b (0-2, K)
9. Lou Marson, c (2-5, .971 OPS, two walks, two Ks)

Pick to click? Even coming off a four-K Saturday, you have to go with Choo. But OC wins the one-hit wonder award, with a three-run knock in three at-bats, and Marson is a spot-start pick to click.

Lanky righty Justin Masterson takes the bump vs. the White Sox, who hes pitched uncommonly well against:

Masterson in April: 2-3 with a 3.89 ERA, .731 OPS, 1.54 WHIP and 2.21 KBB.

Masterson vs. the White Sox: 1-2 with a 2.41 ERA, .639 OPS, 1.24 WHIP and 2.33 KBB.

Masterson at Progressive Field: 4-8 with a 3.03 ERA, .632 OPS, 1.23 WHIP and 2.06 KBB.
Heres how the White Sox will bat against Masterson:

1. Juan Pierre, lf (6-11, 1.161 OPS career vs. Masterson)
2. Gordon Beckham, 2b (5-9. 1.111 OPS, two Ks)
3. Adam Dunn, dh (1-2, solo HR, 2.667 OPS)
4. Paul Konerko, 1b (3-14, .639 OPS)
5. Alex Rios, cf (has faced Masterson as often as any hitter: 3-18, HR, .675 OPS, four Ks)
6. Carlos Quentin, rf (0-11, four Ks, HBP)
7. A.J. Pierzynski, c (5-14, .786 OPS, two Ks)
8. Alexei Ramirez, ss (3-14, solo homer, .741 OPS)
9. Omar Vizquel, 3b (2-8, .500 OPS)

Look for a tasty day from the top of the White Sox order.
Brett Ballantini is CSNChicago.coms White Sox Insider. Follow him @CSNChi_Beatnik on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Sox information.

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