Josh Tomlin (4-1, 2.55 ERA) takes the hill for the Cleveland Indians (67-70) as they square off against Jeff Samardzija (9-11, 4.87 ERA) and the Chicago White Sox (66-71) in the last of a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field. The White Sox won the last game 7-4 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 8:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sep. 9 and can be seen on CSCh and STOh.
Samardzija pitched 6.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering four runs, striking out four and walking four in a 6-4 win over the Twins. Jose Abreu (.294, 83 Rs, 26 HRs, 85 RBIs) had another good game yesterday, going 3 for 4 with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs. Tomlin went 9.0 innings, surrendering one run, striking out six and walking one in an 8-1 win over the Tigers in his most recent start. Michael Brantley (.319, 63 Rs, 13 HRs, 77 RBIs, 14 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and two RBIs.
Chicago is a narrow -114 favorite at home against Cleveland. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of eight runs. The White Sox have an overall money line of -796 and a record as the favorite of 31-28. Chicago has had a discouraging season against division opponents, earning records of 11-16 and 24-34 as the favorite and SU respectively. The White Sox have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 5.1 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 3.9 runs per game. The White Sox are one of the best in the MLB in terms of extra base hits with 362. Turning to the pitchers, opposing offenses that come to U.S. Cellular Field have been stifled by the White Sox, who have a team ERA of only 3.58 at home.
In games where it is the underdog, Cleveland has a 22-28 record and an overall money line of -1,250. They have played poorly as the underdog with an 8-9 record against AL Central foes, and a 7-3 record SU. Cleveland is excellent at drawing walks with 3.2 per road game, ranking third in the AL. Cleveland’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL, with a 3.75 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Indians are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.19 for the season. The Indians have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 8.8 strikeouts per game.
The White Sox lead the season series, 9-6. The White Sox have a 50-56 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Tomlin takes the mound. Samardzija (RHP) will be on the hill against the Indians, who have a 48-42 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Chicago is 31-27, while Cleveland is 21-23.
The Indians managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the White Sox who are heading in with a 23-11 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the White Sox are 53-12. The Indians have a 57-11 record when outhitting opponents.
Chicago and Cleveland both rank near the bottom of the league in runs. Chicago sits at 26th with 539 runs this season and Cleveland ranks 21st with 557.
Ranking 26th, Chicago is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 328 this season. Cleveland ranks in the top five at fifth with 460.
When the White Sox hit at least one home run, they are 41-35. When the Indians hit at least one homer, they have a 49-28 record.
