Jeff Samardzija (8-7, 4.62 ERA) and the Chicago White Sox (54-58) meet Kyle Hendricks (6-5, 3.73 ERA) and the Chicago Cubs (65-48) in the first of a three-game interleague series at U.S. Cellular Field. The Cubs enter this series on a seven-game winning streak. The game gets underway at 4:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 14 and will air on WGN and CSCh.
In his most recent outing, Samardzija pitched 4.2 innings, allowing seven runs, striking out one and walking two in a 7-6 loss to the Royals. Jose Abreu (.292, 68 Rs, 21 HRs, 67 RBIs) went 1 for 6 Wednesday with one run. The Cubs were victorious over the Giants 8-6 the last time Hendricks pitched. He went 5.1 innings, giving up three runs, striking out five and walking two. Anthony Rizzo (.296, 64 Rs, 22 HRs, 66 RBIs, 15 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and one RBI.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is eight runs. The White Sox have an 8-9 record SU against the National League. The White Sox are a dangerous hitting team with 292 extra base hits, one of the highest totals in the MLB. Turning to the pitching staff, an area where the White Sox are particularly strong is striking batters out, where they average 8.3 K’s per game.
Against interleague opponents, the Cubs are 6-7 SU. Chicago is a terror on the base paths, ranking fourth in the MLB with 78 stolen bases. The Cubs are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.39 ERA this season. They have a WHIP of 1.18 on the year, good for second in the league. The Chicago pitching staff has been an intimidating group on the road this year, averaging 8.3 strikeouts per game.
In their previous three games this season, the White Sox have a 2-1 record. This game will feature Hendricks (RHP) on the mound against the White Sox, who have a 44-45 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Samardzija will take the mound against the Cubs, who have a 50-39 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – ChC, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, the Cubs are 24-19, while the White Sox are 23-22.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Cubs are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The White Sox have an 8-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they outhit their opponents, the White Sox are 42-10. The Cubs have a 41-8 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 29th, the White Sox are near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 422 this season. The Cubs rank in the bottom half at 19th with 441.
The Cubs top the league in walks with 389 this season. The White Sox rank near the bottom at 28th with 258.
The White Sox are 33-31 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Cubs are 41-19 when they hit at least one homer.
