Chris Sale (12-4, 2.17 ERA) and Phil Hughes (0-1, 6.00 ERA) are on the hill in the last of a three-game series between the Chicago White Sox (1-4) and the Minnesota Twins (1-4) at U.S. Cellular Field. The White Sox won the last game 5-4 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 2:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Apr. 12 and can be seen on FSN-N and CSN-CHI.
Sale is 6-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 68 strikeouts against the Twins. Avisail Garcia (.333 ) kept up his hot start yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run and one RBI. Against the White Sox, Hughes is 4-4 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts. Brian Dozier (.190 ) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Chicago, a big -181 favorite, takes on Minnesota. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently seven runs. Chicago’s batters do not strike out very often, with only 6.8 per game.
In games where it is the underdog, Minnesota has a 1-3 record and an overall money line of -200. They have played poorly as the underdog with a 1-3 record against fellow AL Central members, and a 1-3 record SU. Minnesota is excellent at drawing walks with 3.0 per road game, ranking third in the AL.
Predictions: SU Winner – CWS, O/U – Over
Notes
In their last game, the Twins lost by a margin of one run. The White Sox are 1-0 in one-run games. The Twins have a 0-1 record in close games.
Both Chicago and Minnesota have blown late leads this season. They are both a winless 0-2 when leading after 7 innings.
The Twins are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The White Sox have a 1-2 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
The White Sox and the Twins are both 1-0 when they notch more hits than their opponent.
Ranking 21st, Minnesota sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 11 this season. Chicago ranks in the bottom half at 20th with 12.
Ranking 28th, Chicago is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching six this season. Minnesota ranks in the top half at 12th with 13.
When the White Sox hit at least one home run, they are 1-2. When the Twins hit at least one homer, they have a 1-0 record.
