Wise in center as White Sox brace for Tigers

Dewayne Wise will start in center field for the second consecutive day in place of Alejandro De Aza when the Sox play the Detroit Tigers on Monday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field.

De Aza, who struck out four times and went 0-for-5 on Saturday in Minnesota, sat out Sunday’s game as well. Wise doubled, hit two sacrifice flies and lined out Sunday. Wise is batting .318 with four doubles, two homers, a triple, seven RBI and four stolen bases over his last 13 games. De Aza is 0-for-9 in his last two games and is batting .236 in his last 46.

“He’s fine,” Sox manager Robin Ventura said of De Aza. “He’s just out of there today. “He just seems out of sync. We’ll wait for him to work on that and get back in there.”

The Sox and Tigers are playing a makeup game of their rainout Thursday night. The Sox lead Detroit by two games in the American League Central and can build a semi-comfortable three-game lead with 16 to play with a victory.

Ventura said he didn’t think there is any more pressure on the Tigers than the Sox.

“No, there’s pressure on everybody,” he said. “Even teams that are five games ahead, they have pressure. There’s nothing you can do about it except go out and play. It doesn’t make it easier if you’re up by two or down by two. It’s not going to change the way you play.”

The Sox lost two of three in last week’s series and have won five of 17 games. Today’s game is the last between the Tigers and Sox. Asked if it gets aggravating that his team isn’t playing well against the team it’s competing with for the division title, Ventura said, “You’re playing hard and they’re a good team. That stuff that happens in baseball. They’re good.”

“You’re not ashamed to lose to a team that’s good. We have the ability to beat them. We have to play better.”

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said his team will have an advantage having faced rookie left-hander Jose Quintana on Monday. Quintana got the win last Monday at U.S. Cellular Field against the Tigers by allowing one run over 7 1/3 innings. He walked off to a standing ovation.

“I don’t know,” Ventura said. “We’ll find out, I guess.”

Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson, a late scratch against the Indians on Sunday because a sore ankle, is penciled in to start Monday. Catcher Alex Avila (jaw), who collided with Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder, is not playing.

Gametime is 1:10 p.m. and will be televised on CSN.