CHICAGO — Adrian Houser spent much of the offseason refining his body and mechanics in hopes of finding another gear in his ninth big-league season. It worked like a charm, and he's had what some are saying is his best year ever.
It started in Chicago with the White Sox, where he went 6-2 with a 2.10 earned run average in 11 starts. On a one-year deal, the rebuilding White Sox moved him at the trade deadline, sending him to Tampa Bay for infielder Curtis Mead and two minor-league pitchers.
He's had some nice moments in six starts with the Rays. He lost his first two games, but is 2-0 since and got a no-decision at San Francisco on Aug. 16 where he pitched five scoreless innings. He threw five scoreless innings in his last start as well, last Wednesday against Seattle, before getting touched for a few runs in the sixth
He makes his seventh start in, of all places, Chicago. He'll take on his former teammates, starting at 7:40 p.m. ET.
"He's done a lot of good stuff lately. Certainly, that Seattle start, you couldn't draw it up any better for as efficient as he was against a very good lineup,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said before Tuesday's game at Rate Field on the south side of Chicago. "He's going to have some challenges today and probably some added excitement with some buddies over there.
"But keep doing what you're doing, filling up the strike zone and being efficient and let the defense playing behind you. And hopefully we can get him some early runs.''
Here's how to watch the game:
How to watch Tigers-Rays
- Who: Tampa Bay Rays (71-72) at Chicago White Sox (55-89)
- When: Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 7:40 p.m. ET
- Where: Rate Field, Chicago, Ill.
- TV: FanDuel Sports Sun
- Radio: WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM, WQBN 106.7/1300 AM (Spanish)
Here are the starting lineups for both teams:
Rays batting order
- Chandler Simpson LF
- Yandy Diaz DH
- Brandon Lowe 2B
- Junior Caminero 3B
- Josh Lowe RF
- Jake Mangum CF
- Richie Palacios 1B
- Tristan Gray SS
- Hunter Feduccia C
White Sox batting order
- Matt Tauchman RF
- Kyle Teel C
- Lenyn Sosa 1B
- Colson Montgomery SS
- Edgar Quero DH
- Andrew Benintendi LF
- Curtis Mead 3B
- Brooks Baldwin CF
- Chase Meidroth 2B
The White Sox, who set a major-league record with 121 losses a year ago, have been playing much better this season. They've already won 14 more games this season, and are 23-24 since the All-Star break as their youth movement is starting to take shape.
Included in that better play was a series win over Tampa Bay July 21-23, taking two of three where they scored 22 runs in the series.
"Coming out of the break, they put to us and came up with a lot of big hits,'' Cash said. "They're young, they're talented, and they're finding ways to win games. We need to play good baseball. When we saw them at home, they were playing with a lot of energy and they were beating us.''
The Rays have struggled for a while with the White Sox. Even last year in their epic bad season, Chicago went 4-2 vs. the Rays and swept the series here in Chicago. It was one of only two home sweeps all season.
The Rays are in Chicago all week. They play two more with the White Sox and then have a weekend series with the Cubs at Wrigley Field.