Tillman vs. Rodon tonight in Chicago

The White Sox are starting a left-hander tonight. Does Pedro Alvarez sit?

More on Carlos Rodon later. More on Alvarez now.

He hit two more home runs last night to give him five in his last three games and six in his last five. This is the guy that the Orioles envisioned when they signed him to a one-year, $5.75 million contract in spring training.

Funny how easily a player suddenly can look like a bargain.

Alvarez is 4-for-27 with a home run and eight strikeouts against left-handers this season, but he's on fire. Manager Buck Showalter talked earlier this year about bench coach John Russell - the former Pirates manager - saying Alvarez would be a lot of fun to watch after he heated up.

Chris Tillman will try to join Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ as the only 15-game winners in the American League.

Tillman has failed in his last two attempts to gain his 15th victory, allowing eight runs and 14 hits over 10 2/3 innings. He's 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.427 WHIP in five career starts versus the White Sox over 27 1/3 innings and 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA in three starts at U.S. Cellular Field.

In those three starts, Tillman has allowed four runs and 19 hits over 17 2/3 innings.

The current White Sox are batting .314 (22-for-70) against Tillman. Melky Cabrera is 9-for-24 with two doubles and a home run, and Jose Abreu is 3-for-5 with a double, triple and home run.

OK, back to Rodon, the third-overall pick in the 2014 draft out of North Carolina State.

Rodon is making his second start since coming off the disabled list. He missed most of July with a sprained wrist suffered after he slipped on the dugout steps.

Rodon surrendered a combined 10 earned runs (11 total) and 20 hits over 11 1/3 innings on July 5 and 31. He gave up four home runs. Overall, he's 2-8 with a 4.67 ERA in 17 starts.

Facing the Orioles on April 29, Rodon allowed four earned runs (six total) and eight hits over seven innings. He walked one batter and struck out seven.

Right-handers are batting .319 against Rodon and left-handers are batting .210. How much will it impact Showalter's lineup?

Rodon is 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA in three career games (two starts) against the Orioles, with seven earned runs (10 total) and 12 hits in 13 innings.

Nolan Reimold is 2-for-6 with a home run against Rodon and Jonathan Schoop is 2-for-5 with a home run.

Alvarez never has faced him. Would tonight be a good time?