In the second of a three-game series between the Chicago White Sox (54-59) and the Chicago Cubs (66-48) at U.S. Cellular Field, Jose Quintana (6-9, 3.59 ERA) and Jake Arrieta (13-6, 2.38 ERA) take the mound. The Cubs won the last game 6-5, extending an eight-game winning streak. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 15 and will air on WLS and CSCh.
In his last start, Quintana pitched 6.2 innings, giving up four runs, striking out four and walking two in a 5-4 loss to the Royals. Adam Eaton (.268, 69 Rs, 10 HRs, 30 RBIs, 11 SBs) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run, one home run, and two RBIs. The Cubs were victorious the last time Arrieta pitched. He had a good outing, pitching 7.2 innings, allowing zero runs, striking out six and walking two in a 2-0 victory over the Giants. Kris Bryant (.255, 60 Rs, 16 HRs, 66 RBIs, 12 SBs) has been doing well, going 2 for 4 yesterday.
Chicago, a +115 underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Chicago. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at eight runs. The White Sox are 27-35 as the underdog and have an overall money line of -516. They have a 3-8 record when they were the underdog and 8-9 SU against the NL. The White Sox are a dangerous hitting team with 295 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.
Moving on to the opposing team, the Cubs come into this game with a solid win percentage of .622 when playing as the favorite (46-28) and an overall money line of +799. Over the past 10 matchups, they are 9-1 SU and have an unblemished 8-0 record when they were the favorite. Chicago has been playing better lately, averaging 5.4 runs per game, more than their season average of 4.0. The Cubs have racked up 78 steals on the year, making them one of the most threatening base-running teams in the league. Switching gears to Chicago’s pitching staff, they have the fourth-lowest ERA in the NL at 3.38. They have a WHIP of 1.18 on the year, good for second in the league. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in baseball with an NL-high 8.7 strikeouts per game.
This game will feature Arrieta (RHP) on the mound against the White Sox, who have a 44-45 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The left-handed Quintana will take the mound against the Cubs, who have a 14-9 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – ChC, O/U – Over
Notes
Chicago earned its eighth shutout of the season in its last game. Chicago has been shut out nine times this season.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the White Sox are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Cubs have a 14-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they are outhit, the White Sox are 10-44. The Cubs have a 15-35 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 22nd, the White Sox are near the bottom of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 95 this season. The Cubs rank in the top half at 14th with 107.
Ranking 14th, the Cubs are in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.09 per game. The White Sox rank in the top 10 at ninth with 8.54.
Ranking 25th, the White Sox are near the bottom of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage (.685). The Cubs rank in the bottom half at 20th with an OPS of .699.
The Cubs are 31-31 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The White Sox are 25-42 when they allow at least one homer.
