Clash of Best and Worst AL Outfits in Cleveland
White Sox vs Guardians Preview: Cleveland Favored at Home
A pair of opposites when it comes to records square off for a three-game series starting Tuesday when the Cleveland Guardians host the division rival Chicago White Sox. These two teams are not just the top (Cleveland) and bottom (Chicago) of the AL Central standings, but they’re also the top and bottom of the entire American League. But as this White Sox vs Guardians preview will show, it’s not that simple to determine a winner in this series.
White Sox Aim to Extend Hot Streak Against AL-Leading Guardians
Chicago (24-62) comes into this series with more success of late, having its three-game winning streak snapped with a loss to the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. The White Sox are at the bottom of the AL Central, trailing the fourth-place Detroit Tigers by 15 games.
The Indians are coming off a series loss to the Kansas City Royals over the weekend and have lost four of their last five. The Guardians (52-30) lead the second-place Minnesota Twins by six games in the division race, while they are percentage points ahead of the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles for the best record in the American League, putting themselves firmly in the potential MLB playoff bracket.
- The MLB odds for the series opener are giving the edge to the host Guardians, who are listed at -188 on the moneyline. You can get the White Sox at +158 to earn the straight-up win on Tuesday.
- If you want to bet on the run line, you can get Chicago at -134 when it gets 1.5 runs, while Cleveland is listed at +112 when giving those runs. The over/under is set at 9.5 runs, with the under getting -118 odds and the over -104.
The first two games of this series are scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET, while the series will wrap up with a 1:10 p.m. ET matinee on Thursday. All games will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
White Sox vs Guardians Preview: Pitching Matchups
âš¾ Game 1: Chris Flexen (Chicago) vs Carlos Carrasco (Cleveland)
Right-hander Chris Flexen will be on the mound to start the series for the White Sox, bringing a 2-7 record and 5.13 ERA to his 18th appearance and 16th start of the season.
The 30-year-old hasn’t picked up a win since May 8, with Chicago losing the last nine games that he has started. Flexen’s last start was a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers last Tuesday, as he went 5.2 innings and allowed four runs on six hits, including two home runs while striking out three and walking three.
The Guardians will turn to righty Carlos Carrasco to start the series opener. The 37-year-old is 3-6 with a 5.27 ERA in 14 starts, recording 54 strikeouts in 70 innings of work. He was solid in his last outing, going five innings against the Orioles and allowing two runs on six hits while striking out three, but he also had two starts allowing at least five runs in June.
âš¾ Game 2: Erick Fedde (Chicago) vs Gavin Williams (Cleveland)
One of the better pitchers for the White Sox – and in baseball – takes the mound on Wednesday as Erick Fedde makes his 18th start. Fedde is 5-3 with a 3.23 ERA, which ranks 22nd in the majors, striking out 91 in 100.1 innings.
The 31-year-old has dropped his last two decisions, including a loss to the Dodgers last Wednesday in which he allowed four runs on five hits over six innings, striking out five and walking one.
Righty Gavin Williams will make his season debut on Wednesday as he just came off the 60-day injured list after suffering an elbow injury in spring training. The 24-year-old was 3-5 with a 3.29 ERA in 16 starts in his rookie campaign of 2023, striking out 81 in 82 innings of work. He’s made a few rehab starts so the team is hopeful he’s ready for the return to the majors.
âš¾ Game 3: Drew Thorpe (Chicago) vs Ben Lively (Cleveland)
Rookie right-hander Drew Thorpe will get the start in the series finale on July 4 for the White Sox. The 23-year-old is 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA through his first four major league starts, striking out 13 and walking 12 in 20.1 innings.
He won his last two outings, including a Friday win over the Rockies. He pitched six innings, allowing only two runs on two hits while striking out four and walking one.
Cleveland will have righty Ben Lively making his 14th start in Thursday’s contest. Lively is 7-4 with a 3.03 ERA this season, but he’s been fantastic at Progressive Field, going 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in five starts at home, which makes Cleveland one of the top MLB picks today.
However, Lively has losses in two of his last three starts and suffered a setback in his previous start against the White Sox this season, going 5.2 innings on May 9 and allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out two and walking three.
Sox Hoping To Stay Competitive Against Guardians
Despite the difference in their overall records, the White Sox hold the edge in the season series against the Guardians in 2024, winning four of the first seven matchups. Cleveland is 26-9 at home this season, but one of those came against Chicago.
The White Sox are going to need some offense to be competitive this week, which hasn’t been easy for the team in 2024.
Chicago is last in the majors in runs, scoring just 267, compared to the next-lowest total of 293 by the Miami Marlins. Meanwhile, Cleveland is sixth in baseball with 407 runs, a big reason it is among the MLB World Series odds leaders.
First baseman Andrew Vaughn has been the most dangerous of the hitters in the White Sox lineup, and he’s coming off a 2-for-4 day at the plate with a home run and three RBI on Sunday. Vaughn leads Chicago with a .244 batting average and 39 RBI, adding 15 doubles, 10 home runs and 31 runs scored.
Cleveland features one of the top batters in the game in third baseman Jose Ramirez, who is second in baseball with 76 RBI and fourth with 23 home runs. Ramirez is on a four-game hitting streak and is batting .280 with 17 doubles, a triple, and 65 runs scored.
Guardians Take Series vs Division Rival
This White Sox vs Guardians preview has talked about the success Chicago has had against Cleveland this season, but that isn’t going to continue this week.
The Guardians are just too good at home, and they need all the wins they can get to stay with the Yankees and Orioles in the race for the top record in the American League.
Chicago just doesn’t have enough offense to stay with the Guardians in these games. Look for a dominating performance by Cleveland, as it takes at least two of the three matchups.
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