White Sox-Yankees series preview

With Robinson Cano playing like he’s on top of the world, it’s hard to imagine the Yankees (14-7) losing, even though they’ll be facing two left-handers against the White Sox (9-13) this weekend.

Both of Cano’s homers and his double off the wall yesterday came off southpaws, proving it doesn’t matter what type of pitcher is on the mound. (Although, he’s never faced a switch-pitcher before.)

But Cano wasn’t the only guy to homer twice yesterday. White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko had a pair of jacks yesterday, giving him the league lead with 10.

Pitching Matchups:

Date:	White Sox starters	Yankees starters
Fri., 7:05 p.m.	Freddy Garcia (0-2, 5.82)	Andy Pettitte (3-0, 1.29)
Sat., 1:05 p.m.	John Danks (3-0, 1.55)	Javier Vazquez (1-3, 9.00)
Sun., 7:05 p.m.	Mark Buehrle (2-3, 4.68)	Phil Hughes (2-0, 2.00)

Players to Watch:
White Sox: Konerko. He’s by far the most productive player on the White Sox. His .292 batting average, 10 homers and 18 RBIs all lead the team.

Yankees: Javier Vazquez. He’ll be facing his former team on Saturday afternoon. Manager Ozzie Guillen never liked Vazquez, so he’ll be on a mission. (Unfortunately, I won’t be going to the game anymore. Contact me if you’re looking to buy.)

Prediction:
I think Vazquez finally will put it together and Pettitte and Hughes will stay hot. Bring the brooms to The Bronx!

Sickels on Jesus Montero: ‘Excellent power to all fields’

John Sickels, author of “2010 Baseball Prospect Book,” is posting excerpts from his book on his site. Yesterday, he included a brief on Yankees uber-prospect Jesus Montero. Here’s what he said:

Jesus Montero is an amazing young hitter. He has excellent power to all fields. Although not a walk machine, he controls the zone well and doesn't strike out very much for a power hitter. He hits fastballs. He hits breaking balls. You might fool him once but don't try the same trick too soon or he'll make you pay. He murdered the Florida State League to the tune of a +45 percent OPS, and he remained extremely successful in the Eastern League at +26 OPS despite%2Mark Teixeira a lot of money. For now, Montero will remain behind the plate, waiting for a DH spot to open up in New York. He could also be traded, but any trade involving Montero as a centerpiece would have to be a blockbuster. I have absolutely no doubts about Montero's bat.  Despite the questions about his glove, Montero rates as pure Grade A prospect. The bat is that good.

if you aren’t excited about him yet, you should be. Will he replace Jorge Posada eventually? We’ll see, but he’s only 20 years old. Other experts have compared him to Paul Konerko because he originally came up as a catcher but moved to 1B/DH.