Chicago White Sox Team Report - April 21st

(Sports Network) - Trying to avoid back-to-back defeats since the first week of the season, the Chicago White Sox finish out a four-game set with the Cleveland Indians this afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field.

After giving up three runs in the top of the first inning the White Sox were forced to play catch-up the entire way and were dealt the 7-4 setback as a result.

Magglio Ordonez singled and scored on Paul Konerko's sixth inning double to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, while D'Angelo Jimenez and Carlos Lee homered for Chicago in the loss.

Mark Buehrle was tabbed with the defeat, allowing seven runs on seven hits in just 4 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked a pair for the White Sox, who had won four in a row coming into the tilt, including games one and two of this series by a combined score of 17-6.

Taking the hill for the White Sox this afternoon will be Jon Garland, still searching for his first win of the 2003 campaign. The hurler pitched well against Kansas City last week, but didn't register a decision. Garland limited the Royals to only three hits and one run over seven frames, while fanning six and walking two.

Garland has struggled mightily against the Indians in his career, going just 1-6 with a 6.59 ERA. The Valencia, CA native has surrendered 38 hits and 30 runs over 41 innings of work versus Cleveland.

White Sox hitters are batting a combined .271 after 18 games and have been one of the more disciplined groups in the AL, striking out 86 times, third-fewest in the league.

Ordonez, hitting .296, has produced a team-high 15 RBI while Frank Thomas (.218) has just six in 55 at-bats, even though he has recorded 17 bases-on- balls.

04/21 11:30:40 ET