Sox aim for sweep

The White Sox could improve their record to a season-best five games above .500 with a win Thursday against the Indians.

The Sox have won their last five games against Cleveland as they aim for a second consecutive sweep. That marks the best stretch against Cleveland since 2003, when the Sox won six straight games against their AL Central rivals.

The Indians aren't the only team that the Sox have fared well against lately. Ozzie Guillen's club has won nine of its last 11 games and 16 of its last 22 games to pull within two games of the first-place Detroit Tigers.

Sox starter Clayton Richard (3-2, 4.75) will oppose Indians southpaw David Huff (4-3, 6.06) on Thursday. Richard could be tested during the Indians' second time through the batting order – he has a 2.86 ERA during his first and second innings as a starter, but a 7.41 during the third and fourth innings.

Here is today's lineup for the White Sox:

1. Scott Podsednik, CF
2. Alexei Ramirez, SS
3. Jermaine Dye, RF
4. Jim Thome, DH
5. Paul Konerko, 1B
6. A.J. Pierzynski, C
7. Jayson Nix, LF
8. Chris Getz, 2B
9. Gordon Beckham, 3B

The game starts at 1:05 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet and WSCR-AM 670.

-Tom Musick