BASEBALL PLUS : ANGELS / THE WEEK AHEAD

TODAY-WEDNESDAY

VS. CHICAGO

* Schedule: 7 p.m. today and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

* Television: Fox Sports West, today and Wednesday.

* Radio: KLAC (570) and XPRS (1090).

* Pitching matchups: Mike Sirotka (8-12, 3.94) vs. Brian Cooper (major league debut) today, James Baldwin (9-12, 5.62) vs. Tim Belcher (6-8, 6.64) Wednesday.

* Last series: The White Sox swept a three-game series from the troubled Angels in mid-August in Comiskey Park. Chicago won the first game, 6-1, then took the second game, 4-3, in 12 innings when reliever Troy Percival blew his second save opportunity in five days. Percival gave up a homer to Paul Konerko that tied the score, 3-3, in the ninth. A throwing error by third baseman Troy Glaus gave the White Sox the winning run in a 4-3 victory in the third game.

* About the White Sox: Rookie outfielder Carlos Lee has been hitting well recently, but the White Sox continue to lose ground behind division-leading Cleveland in the AL Central. Lee has 13 hits in 26 at-bats in the last week. Pitcher James Baldwin is 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA since the All-Star break. He was 4-9 with a 6.62 ERA before that.

FRIDAY-MONDAY

AT MINNESOTA

* Schedule: 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. Sunday and 5 p.m. Monday.

* Television: KCAL, Friday, Sunday and Monday.

* Radio: KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

* Last series: The Angels lost the first game of the series, 3-1, when Brad Radke pitched a seven-hitter. The Twins also took the second game, 8-0, nailing Chuck Finley for eight hits and five runs in six innings. It took a strong pitching effort by Steve Sparks to keep the Angels from being swept. Sparks gave up only two hits and one unearned run in eight innings in the 2-1 Angel victory in the finale.

* About the Twins: The Twins have been developing some of their young pitchers, with mixed results. LaTroy Hawkins and Eric Milton have had an opportunity to pitch in the starting rotation recently, but Radke (12-12, 3.79 ERA) has been the most consistent.