Chicago (18-21) at Los Angeles (24-17)

The Los Angeles Angels have one of their best clutch hitters back now that Maicer Izturis has returned from the disabled list. With John Lackey making his season debut, however, Los Angeles may not require too many timely hits.

Lackey takes the mound Wednesday night as the Angels continue a four-game series with the struggling Chicago White Sox.

A day after Izturis’ return from a back injury, Lackey (19-9, 3.01 ERA in 2007) is scheduled to make his first start of 2008 for Los Angeles (24-17). The right-hander has been sidelined since March 21 with a strained right triceps.

Lackey posted the American League’s third-best ERA (3.33) from 2005-07. Last season, he led the AL in that category with a 3.01 mark en route to a career-best 19 wins.

“There’s something to it when a guy brings a presence like John does when he walks out on a mound,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told the team’s official Web site. “Even though every starter is an individual, you will feed off somebody who has a presence. We’re excited to get him back out there.”

Lackey is 3-4 with a 4.30 ERA in nine starts against the White Sox, whom he hasn’t faced since last May.

The Angels are looking forward to having Lackey back to take pressure off their lineup with his dominant pitching, but one run would have been enough for Los Angeles in the second game of this series. Jered Weaver and two relievers combined on a three-hitter in a 2-0 win over Chicago on Tuesday - the Angels’ second straight victory since a four-game skid.

Izturis entered the game as a pinch-runner in the seventh inning, making his first appearance for the Angels since April 27. He’ll start at second base Wednesday.

Izturis only had 336 at-bats last season, but should top that this season. He played in 22 of Los Angeles’ first 26 games, although he hit .197 in 71 at-bats over that span.

In 2007, however, Izturis batted .406 with runners in scoring position and finished the season with a career-best 51 RBIs.

Izturis and the Angels will face Jose Contreras (3-3, 3.66), who earned a win in his last start. He gave up one run and six hits in seven innings as the White Sox beat Seattle 4-2 on Friday night.

The right-hander has surrendered only two home runs in 46 2-3 innings after giving up at least 20 in each of his previous four seasons.

Contreras went 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA in three starts versus the Angels last season, and is 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA in eight career starts against them.

Chicago (18-20), loser of three straight, will try to give Contreras some runs after failing to do so for John Danks on Tuesday. It was the fourth time this season the White Sox have been shut out.

Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen flip-flopped Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye in the lineup, dropping the slumping Konerko to fifth and moving Dye into the cleanup spot for the fourth time this season.

The switch didn’t pay dividends, as the duo was 0-for-7 with two strikeouts. Konerko went 0-for-5 in the series opener, a 10-7 Angels win Monday night.

“We haven’t been scoring too many runs lately, but our pitchers have been going out there and giving us a chance,” Dye said. “We just have to try and bear down a little bit more and get some runs across for them early.”

Dye is batting .219 (7-for-32) with seven strikeouts against Lackey.