Major League Baseball

Angels-White Sox Preview

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:21 p.m. ET

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Even though he saw his team wait until the fifth inning for its first hit in another loss, Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia wasn't too impressed with the Chicago White Sox's starter.

Perhaps he'll have praise when he gets a look at Chris Sale.

The White Sox ace can capture his first four starts for the first time and improve to 5-0 as a starter against the Angels in Wednesday's matchup at U.S. Cellular Field.

Los Angeles (6-8) was held hitless through four innings by Mat Latos and registered only an infield hit through six in Tuesday's 5-0 defeat that evened this four-game series. Scioscia, whose team has dropped four of five, didn't seem too enthralled that Latos pitched 6 1-3 innings of two-hit ball.

''I didn't think he was doing anything special,'' Scioscia said. ''He obviously hit the spots but we had chances and he made some pitches to get out of jams."

Things won't get any easier for the Angels against Sale (3-0, 2.35 ERA), who started 5-0 in 2014 with a no-decision in his fourth start. He fired a two-hitter with nine strikeouts and no walks in Friday's 1-0 victory at Tampa Bay.

"He just seemed to be on his game," manager Robin Ventura told MLB's official website. "I think throwing strikes early in counts, too, you get a guy like him, and you can kind of see the strategy of getting after it early."

Sale is 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA in five starts against the Angels and has limited Albert Pujols to two hits in 15 at-bats and Mike Trout to three in 13. Pujols and Trout combined for six hitless at-bats Tuesday.

Yunel Escobar is 2 for 4 versus Sale and 11 for 20 with a homer and five doubles off southpaws this year.

One factor against Sale is that he is 3-5 with a 4.26 ERA in his last eight day starts.

The Angels have totaled five runs in losing all three outings by Garrett Richards (0-2, 3.57), who was in line for a victory Friday before his bullpen blew a two-run lead as he gave up two runs in six innings in a 5-4 loss to Minnesota.

''I can't worry about that stuff,'' Richards said. ''I need to take the ball every fifth day and give us a chance to win. That's pretty much my only goal.''

The right-hander has won both career starts against Chicago (9-5) with a 3.00 ERA. Jose Abreu is 4 for 6 with a homer against him and Avisail Garcia is 3 for 4.

Abreu ended an eight-game homerless drought Tuesday and Todd Frazier also went deep as the White Sox ended a season-high, three-game slide. Melky Cabrera hit a two-run triple during a three-run eighth that provided the final margin.

''A total, complete game for us,'' right fielder Adam Eaton said.

Trout is in a 3-for-18 slide and Pujols a 1-for-16 slump for the Angels, who have lost five of their last six on the road against the White Sox.

The Angels are playing a day game at U.S. Cellular Field for the first time in four years.

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