Ex-White Sox Duo To Face Off In S.F.

For five seasons, Alex Fernandez and Wilson Alvarez gave the Chicago White Sox one of the best righty-lefty pitching duos in the majors. They’ll be reunited in a vastly different setting tonight.

Fernandez will start for the Marlins and Alvarez, part of a July 31 trade that helped propel San Francisco to the N.L. West title, will start for the Giants as Florida tries to wrap up the best-of-5 playoff series.

The Giants will be trying to become just the fifth team since divisional play began in 1969 to rebound from a two-game deficit and win a best-of-5 series.

“It’s not a must-win situation, it’s a have-to-win situation. Everybody knows that if we don’t win Friday, we go home,” Giants manager Dusty Baker said. “Keeping an edge is the easiest thing to do when you’ve got your back to the wall.”

The Giants have six straight postseason losses, including four straight to Oakland in the 1989 World Series. They have not rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win a playoff series since the 1921 New York Giants defeated the Yankees 5-3 in the best-of-9 World Series.

Braves hope for sweep

Nice and quick. Bobby Cox would like a short, sweet stay in Houston.

“We want to win one more and do it as fast as we can,” the Atlanta Braves manager said.

The Braves, having taken both games of their N.L. playoff at home, can complete a sweep of the Houston Astros tonight.

John Smoltz takes the mound for Atlanta, while Houston will counter with Shane Reynolds.

If Smoltz can contain the Astros’ “Killer Bs” - Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Derek Bell - as well as the Braves did in the first two games, the series is probably over.

Bell, Bagwell and Biggio are 1 for 25 in the playoffs.

“I really look forward to (tonight),” Smoltz said. “I’ve pitched in every situation - up 2-0, down 3-1, tied - and you want to be the finisher.

“That’s the best situation of all. If we can get a couple of extra days of rest while Florida and San Francisco are playing, that’ll be to our advantage.”